Beautiful Surrender
by divine-nimbus
Summary: While in Dallas, Godric takes an interest in Sookie, believing there may be a reason for her erratic and many times disagreeable nature. This story will explore their relationship, which will be Dominant/submissive in nature. If you have the time or inclination please leave a comment - I love to hear what you think. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

Sookie stomped out of the hotel room and slammed the door closed, leaving a still smirking Eric behind. Now that she was standing alone in the hallway with only the clothes on her back and her purse, Sookie realized she had no idea what she was going to do. She didn't have anywhere else to go; Jason was sure to have found some skank for the night and after what Eric had found out about Bill…well, she could at least be proud of the fact that she hadn't given into the temptation to sleep with that lying jerk. Thank heavens for small favors.

But that still didn't change the fact that she was now room-less for the night, unless she went back in with Eric, the smug a-hole. But since Sookie couldn't bear to give him the satisfaction of seeing her come back with her tail between her legs, so to speak, she wandered down the hall until Eric's door was out of sight before leaning her back against the wall and sliding all the way down until her butt hit the floor.

She had just closed her eyes for a moment when she heard the door to her left opening.

"Miss Stackhouse," a quiet voice lilted down to her from the doorway, "what are you doing out here in the hallway? It is quite late."

"Godric," Sookie answered, quickly moving to stand. "I didn't realize this was your room. I'm so sorry if I disturbed you."

"Not at all, Miss Stackhouse. It is just that I could smell you and when it was clear you intended to remain I simply wondered why you were out here at all."

"Call me Sookie, please," she replied, before mumbling more quietly, "and I wouldn't be out here if it weren't for your obnoxious excuse for a child."

"Excuse me?" Godric said, although he heard her perfectly.

"I said –, " Sookie started to repeat herself but Godric cut her off.

"I am aware of what you said…Sookie," Godric said calmly.

Sookie opened her mouth as if to reply but before she could Godric spoke again. "Sookie, would you care to come inside? I'm afraid it is poor manners to carry on a conversation in the hallway where other guests might be disturbed."

"Oh…yes," Sookie said, a little hesitantly, "of course. Thank you."

Godric held the door open and allowed Sookie to pass through before closing it behind them both. "Please have a seat on the couch," Godric said as he walked in the other direction toward the mini bar. "Would you care for a drink, Sookie?"

"Uh, water is fine, if it's no trouble." Godric returned and handed the glass to Sookie before taking a seat in a chair across from her.

"Thank you," she said, raising the glass slightly to indicate her drink before taking a sip. She leaned forward, then, placing the glass on a coaster on the coffee table before returning to her position on the couch. Minutes seemed to pass and nothing was said. Godric seemed to be content to stare at her, but Sookie felt as if he could see…everything. It made her uncomfortable and she shifted in her seat, crossing and recrossing her ankles. Sookie tried to remain quiet, staring right back at the vampire in front of her, but eventually, after what was actually a very short amount of time, Sookie could no longer take Godric's silent appraisal.

The corner of Godric's mouth quirked up just slightly as Sookie let out a loud sigh and parted her lips to speak. Sookie took notice of his apparent amusement. "What?" she asked, grumpily.

"You find it very difficult to control yourself." It was not a question.

"Excuse me?" Sookie said indignantly. Godric's quirked lip became a full smile.

"Well, at least now I know where Eric gets it from," Sookie said more to herself than to Godric. She reached down to retrieve her purse which she had put on the floor before standing and heading toward the door. "Thank you so much for the water, Godric. I will be leaving now. Have a wonderful evening."

As her fingers curled around the doorknob Godric spoke to her, never moving from his chair, still using his same soft-spoken tone. "And where will you go? Back to sleep away the day on the hallway floor? I think not, little one. You are here as my guest and as such your actions are a reflection of me. I will not have you behaving in an unsuitable manner for all the hotel staff and its guests to see. Now I apologize for any inconvenience but as you have nowhere else to go it appears you will have to remain with me."

"Like he -," Sookie began as she started to turn the knob on the door anyway, but Godric was in front of her in an instant, one hand removing hers from the door and the other holding firmly onto her shoulder.

"Go back to your seat now, Sookie." His voice was still soft but she could hear something else behind his tone. Irritation maybe? Then why did he want her to stay? She huffed a little to herself and flounced back over to the couch, slumping back down into the seat and turning her head to send a glare in Godric's direction. Godric was looking at her steadily from across the room and it seemed as if he wanted to start up their staring contest again. Not trying to compete this time, Sookie lowered her eyes to her lap, watching her fingers as they folded gracefully together. After what seemed, to Sookie, to be a painfully long amount of time she chanced a glance up at him through her lashes; he was still standing by the door, just watching her. She dropped her eyes back down and reached toward the coffee table, taking another small drink of water for something to do. When she sat back into her seat one again, she startled just slightly. Godric was once again sitting across from her.

"You have had quite a long night," Godric mused. "First getting attacked at the church, then the confrontation with Ms. Krasiki, and the explosion…you must be exhausted."

Sookie cocked her head to the side, brow furrowed. "It couldn't have been any more trying than your night. I mean you're the one who saved me from…that man in the basement, _and_ Bill's maker, for that matter. And Godric, it was _your_ home that got destroyed. I just can't even imagine. I'm so sorry, Godric," Sookie said quietly.

Silence descended over the pair of them once again for several minutes so Sookie was surprised when Godric spoke. "You are quite the puzzle, Sookie Stackhouse," Godric said. Sookie jumped in her seat just a little at the sound of his voice.

"I'm sorry," she said, meeting his gaze for the first time since he had sent her back over from the door. "I'm not sure what you mean by that. I'm about as simple as they come. I'm just Sookie, a waitress from Bon Temps."

"I am not referring to what you are, little one, however you are quite wrong about yourself in that regard as well."

"I'm not sure I follow," Sookie said, ignoring the second half of Godric's statement and tilting her head to the side in question.

Godric leaned forward, sitting on the edge of the chair. "You interest me tremendously, Sookie," Godric said, his eyes still studying her intently. "You showed a great amount of bravery, both at the church as well as back at my nest. And apparently this is nothing new. My child has informed me that facing down danger is somewhat of a bad habit of yours, at least since he has made your acquaintance." Godric paused, smiling just slightly at this.

"I'm not brave," Sookie argued, taking advantage of the brief pause in Godric's speech. "All I do is try to handle the situations put in front of me as best I can."

"Ah yes, which is why you agreed to assist my child, a vampire who I believe you are well aware is over a thousand years old and as such is quite capable of handling things on his own, with an undercover mission to 'rescue' another vampire who was taken from his maker's area, from a group of human religious radicals who could not possibly have posed a real threat to either him or me."

"Eric told me where he was going and that it was to help his maker. I thought I could help," Sookie said a little defensively.

"Yes, I know. As I said, you are very brave." Before Sookie could interrupt again, Godric continued. "However, it is difficult for me to reconcile the brave woman who takes it upon herself to help anyone and everyone she can with the petulant little girl that seems to so often stand in her place."

Sookie's head reeled back in shock. "What did you just say to me?"

"Ah, here she is now."

"What do you expect my reaction to be when you say something like that to me?"

"My dear Sookie, let us be honest. It requires much less than a comment such as the one I just made to set you off, does it not? I have only known you for a handful of days and I have seen you throw several temper tantrums of varying degrees and at various people, though admittedly my child is most frequently the target." Godric kept his voice as gentle as possible while saying all this but a smile crept back onto his face at the mention of Eric.

"I don't throw temper tantrums! And if I get angry, that's probably because your child did something to deserve it! He's a mean, nasty vampire," Sookie didn't continue. She looked down instead, trying to get control over the tears that had suddenly flooded her eyes.

Godric waited patiently for Sookie to calm herself, and when she had her tears in check she looked back up to see him still watching her, a look of understanding in his eyes. "Please explain what caused this reaction, Sookie."

Sookie sighed heavily. She opened her mouth to speak only to close it without saying a word several times before she found the words, but Godric sat in front of her silently waiting, not pushing her before she was ready.

"I was supposed to be staying here in a room with Bill…Compton." Sookie looked up at Godric and he nodded to indicate he knew who she meant. "We had been…seeing each other, I suppose. For a month or so now. That's what I thought, anyway. I thought I was happy, and so even after that whole…thing with Bill's maker back at your place I was gonna…you know. With him, finally. But I didn't, thank the Lord."

Sookie paused a moment and Godric spoke. "So you are happy that you and this Mr. Compton did not," here Godric paused, the corner of his lip upturning just slightly, "consummate your relationship?"

"Yes," Sookie said a little irritated at Godric's expression.

"And therefore you are upset with my child? I'm sorry. I fail to see the connection."

"No. I mean, yes, I'm almost always upset with Eric, but I'm not mad at him because Bill and me didn't…do _that_. I'm glad about that, like I said."

"And why didn't you…do that? Aside from the obvious fact that you are unable to even say what _that_ is, of course."

"Excuse you! I will not be made fun of. I just don't speak nasty like that."

"My apologies, then. Please continue." Godric's faint smile was still in place.

Sookie was annoyed by the still-amused look on Godric's face but after a moment began to speak again. "The fact is, I'm no longer going to be seeing Bill, which is why I obviously won't be becoming any further acquainted with him. Eric discovered that Bill…he was only with me because the vampire Queen of Louisiana sent him to…acquire me." A tear escaped from the corner of Sookie's eye and streamed down her cheek. "She wants me because of my disability," Sookie added, pointing at her head to indicate what she meant.

"I am very sorry Mr. Compton attempted to deceive you in this way, Sookie," Godric said seriously. "And I am sorry that the Queen of Louisiana has developed an interest in you. That is troubling to say the least. But surely you are happy that Eric found out what he did before Mr. Compton could hurt you, or worse deliver you to the Queen?"

"Of course I am happy that Eric found out…and grateful as well. It is Eric himself that infuriates me."

Godric simply raised his eyebrows, indicating that Sookie should continue.

"Well, just this evening when Eric told me what he found out. Of course he asks me to come into his room because what he has to tell me is private, which is all well and good. But what didn't occur to me – Lord only knows why, because it is just like Eric – is that while he was being _kind_ enough to inform me of how Bill intended to betray me, he was well aware I had nowhere else to stay. I was sharing a room with Bill. So Eric says to me, that I can either share a bed with him, or sleep on the floor, but that either way he sleeps in the nude. And further, he finds it perfectly acceptable to imply that there are…ways that I might consider showing my gratitude. Ugh!"

Godric let Sookie ramble on, however the grin on his face had widened at hearing his child's flirtatious antics.

"And you know, he's always like that. He can never just give it a rest. Especially tonight I could have really used a break from him trying to get into my pants."

"I hope you are aware, Sookie, that however…persistent Eric may be, he would never force himself on someone. Eric has honor. My child does like to enjoy himself though, and does not feel it necessary to take life too seriously. Flirting is just his way."

"But he knows I don't want to hear his nasty talk! I've told him more times than I'd care to count that I'm not like the loose girls that hang around his bar, and I don't like the way it feels when he speaks to me that way."

"Sookie, I can say with confidence that Eric is genuinely concerned for your wellbeing. He would not have gone through the trouble of finding out about Mr. Compton's dealings with the Queen otherwise. As for the way he treats you, you do not have to believe me, but I am of the opinion that you are taking his comments and behavior much more seriously than he is intending. Eric is lighthearted."

"Godric, I may not be able to read vampires' minds, but I've been able to read the minds of men since I was a little girl. I know how many think nasty, filthy thoughts, and I know how many actually act on those thoughts. Eric isn't someone that strikes me as a thoughts only kind of guy."

"No, you are correct about that. And it is true that no matter what species we may be, be it human, vampire, or any other, we are always men first. That, my dear, will never change."

Sookie's eyes wandered away from Godric, studying one of the walls intently and trying desperately to escape the awkward conversation.

"You are uncomfortable with the topic of sex," Godric stated. Sookie's head snapped back around to look at Godric and her cheeks flushed a bright pink.

"Well, of course. It's not appropriate talk for a lady anyway," she said by way of explanation.

A curious expression crossed Godric's face. "You believe it to be inappropriate to speak of sex," Godric said. "This would, of course, explain why you harbor such harsh feelings toward my child as sex is one of his favorite topics, however I am afraid I do not understand why you feel the way you do."

"I don't understand what you find so difficult!" Sookie said, her voice raising noticeably.

"Sex is a natural act, Sookie. It is something people are meant to partake in, both as a means of procreation, and also as a means for pleasure. I must also insist that you do not raise your voice again. It is most unbecoming."

Sookie's eyes narrowed at Godric's correction of her behavior but this time she said nothing about it. "Godric, I really don't want to talk about this anymore," she said as calmly as possible.

"Let us not end this conversation just yet, Sookie. I am interested in why you believe the way you do. You are an attractive woman, yet I can smell your innocence, a rarity at your age now. I mean no offense, but I would like to understand."

Sookie sighed heavily. She didn't want to talk about this. "It's simple, really. How would it ever be possible for me to become intimate with someone when I'm able to hear every thought that goes through their head? Going on dates was bad enough. When I met Bill I thought it was fate, which I know now was just me being silly. But I wanted so badly to be able to have a connection with someone…"

"And because you cannot hear vampires and Mr. Compton was the first of our kind you met," Godric looked to Sookie and she nodded in confirmation, "this made it very easy for you to overlook other inadequacies he may have had. I see. And now, because of your under cover activity at the church, you almost became the victim of a rape. This can not have improved your view."

"Oh that was scary, but it turned out fine. I've experienced worse. You saved me and that is what's important. Thank you again, for that. I can't say it enough." Sookie smiled warmly at Godric, unaware of the information she had just shared.

Godric thought about the implications of that comment and decided to hold off on asking about it just yet; it didn't seem as if she knew what she just said.

"What do you want from me?" Sookie asked softly, breaking Godric from his introspection. "Why are you asking so many questions?"

Godric smiled at her once again. "I told you already, Sookie, you interest me. I am interested in the brave part of you, I'm interested in the bratty part of you, and I am interested in the parts that I have not yet come to know. However, since dawn has already come and gone, I think it is best that we prepare for bed."

Sookie glanced down at her watch then. She hadn't realized the time. Despite the fact that Godric had gotten under her skin a few times, he still had a way of making her feel as if it was safe to speak with him. It felt safe to simply be in his presence, really. Before she could think any further on this, Godric was standing beside her with a stack of clothing in his hands.

"I assume you do not want to sleep in your dress," he said, the same hint of a smile indicating his amusement crossing his face. "You may borrow some of my clothes. I hope you will find them adequate for now. I will get Eric to retrieve your belongings from Mr. Compton's room in the evening."

"Thank you. I'll just change in the bathroom. I'll be right back."

When Sookie came back to the main room, she saw that Godric was already reclining on the bed, although he was on top of the comforter. Sookie sat her folded clothes on a chair then stood uncertainly at the foot of the bed.

"Uh…," Sookie looked around the room uncomfortably, hoping the Godric would tell her where she was supposed to be sleeping for the night. When her eyes finally found Godric's again, she noticed he was wearing an amused expression yet again, which…annoyed her? Pleased her? She was too tired to tell at this point.

"You may sleep in the bed," Godric said, lifting a corner of the comforter for her.

"Uh…with you?"

Godric actually chuckled a little when she said this. As Sookie climbed into the bed and looked over at Godric, she saw that he was wearing a very familiar mischievous expression, and he leaned closer to her before whispering, "do not worry, little one, I do not bite, unless of course you ask nicely."

She rolled her eyes then, groaning a little at his horrible joke and turning away from the vampire. "I swear to God. You seem so mature on the surface but you're really just like Eric, huh?"

She was trying to sound indignant, but Godric could hear the amusement in her voice. "As I said, dear Sookie, we are, and always will be men first."


	2. Chapter 2

When Sookie woke up the next day she was surprised to find that she was alone in bed. She turned her head toward the sitting area and saw that Godric was already awake, sitting in a chair and reading. Godric looked up from his book then, marking his page and closing it when he saw that Sookie was awake.

"Good morning, Sookie," he said, walking back over to the bed and sitting on the edge. "I trust you slept well?"

Sookie pushed herself up into a sitting position and ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to flatten what she imagined was a horrible case of bed head. "Yes, I slept just fine, thank you. Uh, what time is it?"

"It is just past 3 pm. You must have been tired. We were up very late last night."

"It's the afternoon? How are you awake?"

"Sookie, I am a very old vampire, as you know. As long as I am out of the sun, daylight has very little effect on me anymore."

Sookie stared at Godric in amazement until she caught herself and looked down at her hands.

"You must be hungry," Godric said, drawing Sookie's attention once again. "Do you have a preference of what you would like to eat?"

"I'm not very picky," Sookie said quickly. "Anything will be fine, thank you."

Godric smiled kindly at Sookie. "Very well. I will call down and order you room service. You may go attend to your business in the bathroom. I will be out here when you are finished."

Once in the bathroom Sookie decided to take a quick shower so by the time Sookie came back to the main room her food had already arrived. She hurried over to the sitting area, taking in the aroma of the meal that was waiting for her.

"Ooh! Breakfast for lunch. My favorite!" Sookie sat down and began to eat without another word, causing Godric to chuckle silently at her behavior.

Godric allowed her to eat in silence, and Sookie did not try to engage in conversation until she had eaten her fill of the meal in front of her.

"Thank you for the meal, Godric. It was wonderful," Sookie said. "I really shouldn't have let you order so much, though. I'm afraid I don't have any money with me to pay you back." Sookie sounded slightly embarrassed saying this and she began fiddling with the belt of the complimentary hotel bathrobe that she changed into after her shower.

"Nonsense, Sookie. You will not be paying me back. It was my decision to treat you."

"That reminds me," Sookie said, her hackles now raised. "What makes you think you have the right to make decisions for me or tell me what to do? You tried to pull that crap last night and you've been trying to pull it again. I won't have it. I am capable of taking care of myself. I do not need someone telling me what to do every step of the way!"

"Have you ever had anyone you deferred to, Sookie?" Godric asked, his voice as gentle as always. "Have you ever seen fit to take instruction or advice from anyone else? Or is it your contention that you have all the knowledge necessary to survive after experiencing 25 short years in a rural town in Louisiana? Do you honestly believe that there is no one that knows better than you?"

"Here's what I know, Godric. I know my parents were scared of me from the moment they found out there was something 'different' about me. They were too worried about keeping me from seeing their thoughts or wondering what was wrong with me to tell me what was right and what was wrong and then they were gone. My older brother has never acted the part, not even once in his life. I've been bailing him out of the trouble he gets himself into since I was 10 years old. My Gran…she was there for me in a way no one else was, but she knew I was self-sufficient. The fact is I stayed living with her because she needed me to help pay for the house or she wouldn't have been able to keep it."

There were tears in Sookie's eyes and she was gasping for breath in an attempt to keep herself from breaking down entirely. Godric was in front of her, then, kneeling down to look Sookie in the eye. His hands came up to cradle either side of Sookie's face in a comforting gesture, but one that also kept her from looking away from him again.

"You will listen to me now, Sookie. Calm yourself down and listen carefully. You have been forced to live in a manner that has caused you a great amount of pain. I can see this plainly. I see that you were raised in a world where you were alone and created a shell to protect yourself from everyone else."

Silent tears were streaming down Sookie's face now, and Godric continued to speak, swiping the tears away with the tips of his fingers as they came.

"Please do not misunderstand me, Sookie. I do not believe this to be your fault in any way. But it is clear to me that the control you convince yourself you have is merely a façade. I do not think you are capable of controlling yourself, nor do I believe that you have ever been shown the discipline and guidance under which someone such as yourself could flourish. Your 'outbursts' – "

"Temper tantrums, you mean," Sookie said sniffling and still trying to get control of her tears.

Godric quirked a tiny smile at her before continuing. "Yes, it is true. Perhaps I should have considered my words more carefully before. However my comment remains the same: these outbursts, they are your subconscious crying for help. You already know you are drowning on your own. Please allow someone to help you."

Godric's hands were still on either side of Sookie's face not allowing her to turn away, so she closed her eyes for a moment to gain some semblance of privacy. "You mean, you, don't you," she whispered. "You want to control me. Just like Bill and the Queen want to control me. Just like Eric."

"I want you to be able to trust that someone will look out for your best interest, even if it means compelling you to behave a certain way, yes. It is not your responsibility to take care of the world, Sookie."

"Why do you care? What is it to you if I'm some lost broken soul who has outbursts and can't control anything? I'm nothing to you."

"Oh, little one, that is simply not true. I have known you for a few days only, but in that time I have come to care for you. Your wellbeing is of utmost importance to me. You are already a beautiful person, dear Sookie, never doubt that for a moment. But I can see the radiant girl underneath this exterior, and it would give me infinite pleasure to help her emerge and grow."

Sookie shuddered harshly then, collapsing into Godric's chest. "What are you doing to me?" she breathed.

"I am trying to make you see that things can be different. I want very much to help you. More than I can put into words."

They were both silent for several minutes, Godric holding Sookie gently against his body and stroking her still-damp hair. "What would I have to do?" Sookie asked quietly into the material of Godric's shirt.

Godric continued the soothing motion of his hand moving against her hair as he replied. "I require you to give yourself to me entirely, and trust me implicitly. Know that I will never allow harm to befall you, even if you are the one who threatens to do the damage."

"I don't think that I'm capable of that." Tears began to fill her eyes again. "I don't want to be all alone, I don't…I can't…but how do I do what you're asking? I don't understand how…" Sookie's body was shaking with sobs once again.

"Hush, little one. If you will try, then I will help you to succeed. It is as simple as that. You must learn how to trust me. That will be our first lesson."

"Lesson?" Sookie pulled away from Godric's chest to look up at him.

"Yes, little one, the first of many. Now," Godric said, moving both Sookie and himself up from the floor where they were embracing and onto the couch, "Eric is awake. As I promised last night, I will send him over to Mr. Compton's room to gather your things. You will be staying with me from now on."

"What about when we go back to Bon Temps? I can't just leave my life there. People depend on me…"

"And I would not ask that you do so," Godric said, smiling lightly. "I think you will find that by the end of this evening I will no longer be tied to this area in any way. As such, I will be free to move where I choose."

"So…," Sookie said hesitantly.

"I intend to return to Louisiana with you and Eric. You must understand, though, that my rule will still stand. You will be staying with me from now on."

"My house?" Sookie asked.

"It will be maintained, of course, and will be an asset left in your name. We can discuss possibilities at a later date. I must make this plain; by agreeing to accept my help, you are agreeing to be mine. You are agree to submit yourself to my will. There will be no argument on this."

"But – "

"No. Either you are mine, or you are not mine. There is no in between, I am afraid. I will promise you this, however: I will neither force myself on you sexually, nor will I ever bite you without your consent."

"You don't want me?" Sookie asked. She couldn't understand where the question came from. She was relieved at Godric's words but for some reason she felt slightly disappointed as well.

Godric's face became mischievous then, as it had last night when they were going to bed. "Oh no, little one, I never said I did not want you. On the contrary; I want you very much. But I will restrain myself, physically, at least, until you say otherwise." The way Godric spoke made Sookie's stomach flutter pleasantly and she tried to keep herself from squirming in her seat, though she was not entirely successful. Godric laughed outright at this but said no more about it, simply leaning over an placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"You have been very brave to accept my help little one. I am proud of you." A light blush crossed Sookie's cheeks and she smiled shyly up into Godric's face.

"Thank you, Godric."

"You are most welcome dear Sookie. However we now must be serious for a moment. I want to assign you your first task before Eric arrives."

Sookie did not say anything, simply continued to look up at Godric, waiting.

"Beautiful girl," Godric whispered. "It is my sincere hope that you will trust me enough to be able to complete this task successfully. I will not leave you alone for a moment the entire time." Sookie was holding her breath, wishing Godric would just come out with it. "For the next 24 hours, dear Sookie, I require you to remain silent. You do not have permission to speak for any reason, excepting that your life or the life of someone else is in danger. As I said, I will be with you for the duration of this task and will assist you in seeing it to completion. Do you understand what is being asked of you?"

A flurry of emotions stormed across Sookie's face and for a moment it appeared to Godric as if she were going to argue. But then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pausing before answering. "Yes, Godric. I understand."

Godric smiled widely. "Good girl, Sookie. Once again you have made me proud." He watched as her blush returned. "I am afraid those are the last words you are permitted to speak until tomorrow, sweet girl, but remember the point of this exercise: you must trust that I will give you what you need."

Sookie nodded her head in understanding.

"Wonderful. Now Sookie, I have some questions I must ask of you. This Mr. Compton, he has given you his blood, has he not?"

Sookie nodded.

"You understand this creates a bond between the two of you. While this bond exists, Mr. Compton has a claim on you. I promised to keep you from harm and I will," Godric assured Sookie, who had begun to look fearful at the very idea that Bill might have a way to take her away to the Queen. "I am far older than both Mr. Compton and the Queen and I do not believe either would challenge me. However, if you would agree to accept some of my blood, I can assure you the bond you create with me will erase any trace of the one created by Mr. Compton. Consenting to a blood exchange, would, of course, be ideal. Will you think about this please?"

Sookie shook her head no.

"Sookie," Godric said, "I will respect your wishes, however I find myself disappointed that you will not at least consider the option…"

Sookie was tapping Godric's arm as he spoke and when he looked up at her she gave him a very frustrated glare. Thinking a moment, Sookie grabbed Godric's hand and pulled it toward her mouth, placing her lips to his wrist and looking back up at him with big eyes.

Godric nodded his head in understanding, quirking his lips at his confusion. "I apologize for the misunderstanding, little one. You are saying you will accept my offer?"

Sookie nodded her head several times so there could be no mistake.

"You honor me with your decision. Will you take it now?"

Sookie nodded.

"I do not share my blood lightly, little one. Know that you are special and cared for. There is only one other aside from my own maker that I have shared my blood with throughout my thousands of years and that is Eric. I hope you understand the depth of the commitment I am making, what this gesture means to me."

Sookie bowed her head low to Godric, looking up at him through her lashes.

"Thank you, my Sookie. Now," Godric paused and Sookie heard the familiar sound of fangs clicking into place followed by the soft crunching noise of Godric biting into his own wrist, "drink. Only a little is needed for a bond to form because of my age."

Godric brought his bleeding wrist to Sookie's mouth and guided her head to the wound with his free hand, cradling her tenderly. Sookie allowed her tongue to peek from between her parted lips, gingerly lapping at the pooling blood. It was not coppery as she imagined it would be. Godric's blood tasted spicy to her in a way that hinted at his age, knowledge, and power. Sookie felt immediately more connected to him and drew a little more insistently on the quickly healing wound, wanting more than anything to be even closer. Almost instinctively, as the skin beneath her lips knitted back together preventing her from tasting any more of the blood, Sookie slowly tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck to Godric in silent invitation. She wanted him to taste her as well and tried to convey her desire through her eyes.

Godric leaned down and pressed his lips lightly against the skin of Sookie's neck, breathing her scent in deeply before he spoke. "Is this truly what you desire, little one? Do not feel as if you must do this for me. I meant it when I said I would not take your blood unless you wish for me to do so." As he spoke, Godric allowed his lips to graze against Sookie's skin, sending little shivers down her body.

Sookie's only response was to nod her head gently before extending her neck as far to the side as she could, then tilting her head backward into Godric's palm.

Godric whispered into the juncture where her neck turned into shoulder. "Thank you my Sookie." Godric placed several open mouthed kisses light on Sookie's skin. When Sookie heard Godric's fangs run down this time she gasped a little in anticipation and Godric could hear her heart start to beat a little faster in excitement. Godric scraped his fangs against her skin lightly, grinning boyishly when he hit a ticklish spot causing Sookie to let out a small giggle.

Godric looked up from his place from her shoulder and caught Sookie's eye, his grin still in place to let her know he was not upset. "Ah, ah, sweet girl. Breaking the rules so soon?" Sookie's eyes grew wide and she snapped her lips closed in an instant, leaning back into Godric's hand on the back of her head as he moved his fingers through her hair reassuringly. "Remember, little one, you must be silent. Trust in me; I would never harm you." Godric looked away from Sookie's face then, and gave her several teasing nips before licking her neck sensuously from her shoulder up to her ear. Sookie shuddered violently at this then went completely rigid in Godric's arms as finally he slid his fangs into her skin, taking a deep pull of her blood.

Sookie bit her lips between her teeth trying desperately to keep herself from making a sound. Godric's bite was different from anything she'd ever imagined getting bitten would be like. It felt as if the spot Godric was drinking from was directly connected to a place low in her belly and as he kept up the sucking pressure on her neck, a burning ache ignited between her legs. Without her permission, Sookie's hips bucked up into the air, unconsciously seeking relief. Just as Sookie felt like she might explode from feeling so _much, _though, Godric removed his fangs from where they had sunk into her neck and lapped gently at the punctures until the bleeding stopped. Before he moved back, he nicked his own tongue on one of his fangs, allowing his blood to heal the marks he had left behind.

Godric turned Sookie so she was facing away from him, then sat back against the couch, pulling her with him to lean against his chest. Both Godric's arms came around to hug her closely and he laid his right palm flat against her stomach, rubbing soothingly in an attempt to calm her down.

"Hush, my sweet girl. Hush now. You have given me such a gift. I am so pleased with you my good girl. Calm now. Be still," Godric whispered into Sookie's ear.

It took several minutes for Sookie to really relax. The electric coursing through Sookie's body died down to a manageable buzz and as Godric continued to move his cool hand against her belly, she felt herself melt into his body, steadily losing tension until she felt completely boneless. Sookie's eyelids had long drifted closed and she let herself to float in the pleasant place between sleep and wakefulness allowing Godric's steady touch to ground her.

Sookie wasn't aware of the suite door opening until a very familiar voice brought her harshly back to the present.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there! I want to thank you all so much for such a wonderful response to this story so far. It makes me very happy to see that so many people are enjoying this story and giving this unique type of relationship and take on these characters a chance. I am so so very grateful and pleased that so many of you have favorited and followed this story and me, and I would like to give a special thank you to everyone that took the time to review. I love reading your reviews and I try to respond to them all. It definitely encourages me and I love to hear what you all think! Thanks once again and I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

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_It took several minutes for Sookie to really relax. The electric coursing through Sookie's body died down to a manageable buzz and as Godric continued to move his cool hand against her belly, she felt herself melt into his body, steadily losing tension until she felt completely boneless. Sookie's eyelids had long drifted closed and she let herself to float in the pleasant place between sleep and wakefulness allowing Godric's steady touch to ground her._

_Sookie wasn't aware of the suite door opening until a very familiar voice brought her harshly back to the present..._

"Good evening, Lover," Eric purred, the hotel door closing heavily behind him. "I've retrieved your things from that worthless excuse for a vampire Compton, so I come…bearing gifts…" Eric's voice trailed off as his eyes settled on the sight in front of him.

"Sookie?" Her body, pliant and relaxed against Godric's only moments before, stiffened with tension. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped for breath. She pushed against Godric, trying desperately to extricate herself from his grasp but his arms were like steel bands around her waist so she was forced to collapse back into his chest. Sookie began to panic then and opened her mouth to tell Godric to let her go, but before she could utter one sound Godric grasped her chin, forcing her to turn her head and look him in the eye.

"Sookie, calm yourself. Now," Godric said, quietly but firmly. "You do not have permission to speak and I will be very disappointed in you if you fail to obey. Do you understand?"

Tears began to collect in the corners of her eyes and Sookie fought to hold them in; she couldn't understand why she was reacting the way she was, all she knew was the mere thought of Godric's disappointment caused a sharp pain to shoot through her chest. She nodded furiously indicating that she understood him, then struggled to free her arms from his grasp only to fling them both around his neck and hide her face against his chest.

Eric sat Sookie's things down by the door and took a step toward the seating area. "Sookie…is yours, Master?" Eric asked. He tried to keep his tone flat but there was no mistaking the interest in his voice.

Godric was still holding a silently sobbing Sookie in his lap, but he inclined his head once in affirmation of Eric's question before speaking. "Yes, Eric. Sookie is mine."

Sookie reared back from Godric's chest at his words. She looked as if she was going to say something and Eric expected her to speak up and contradict his maker, but Godric caught her gaze, holding it steadily until Sookie lowered her eyes. A loud sigh escaped her then; she hadn't realized it but she had been holding her breath. Looking up through her lashes she saw that Godric was still watching her, concern apparent on his face though his expression was soft. Sookie let her head fall forward to rest her forehead against Godric's shoulder and she felt Godric's hand move up her back trying to relax her once again.

A minute or so passed and Sookie rolled her head to the side so her cheek was resting against Godric's shoulder. From this position she was able to see a very confused Eric from the corner of her eye.

Godric is the one who broke the silence. Pulling Sookie up so she was sitting properly, he adjusted the collar of the bathrobe Sookie was wearing, making sure everything was covered before bringing one of his hands up to rest against her cheek. "I know how difficult this is for you my sweet girl, and you are doing so well." Godric could feel Sookie's skin flush underneath his palm at the sound of his praise and the corner of his mouth turned upward in amusement.

Eric felt like he was frozen where he stood. "Master, I do not understand. You have never taken a human. Why?"

"I will not have this discussion, Eric," Godric said firmly. "I care for Sookie. She is important to me. She has agreed to be mine and I agreed to have her. There is little else I am obliged to tell you just now. However I do have a question for you, my child. How did Sookie come to have your blood? I smelled you on her and wasn't sure but when I tasted her there could be no doubt. Was this something that Sookie ingested knowingly? Knowing what I do of Sookie's general feelings toward you I do not believe she would willingly agree to this."

Eric was silent and tried to catch Sookie's eye, but she kept her gaze lowered making this impossible.

"Do not look to Sookie for answers, Eric. You are the one responsible for sharing your blood. Have I not taught you over the last millennia this significance of gifting your blood to another? Have I not impressed upon you enough that the blood is sacred, not something to be distributed without thought?"

"But Master you have allowed Sookie to have your blood as well! I can smell it! I can't even smell myself on her anymore," Eric added a little sullenly.

"You will not question my actions Eric," Godric said. "I gifted my blood to her because she is _mine_, Eric. And I did so with her consent, not in an underhanded attempt to gain control over her. Sookie granted me that privilege of her own free will."

Eric's fangs ran down involuntarily at this, but he retracted them just as quickly. "I feel like I just walked into the fucking Twilight Zone!" Eric said this to no one in particular, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what the hell is going on. This," he pointed at Sookie and now directing his words to her, "is not the Sookie Stackhouse I know. What the fuck? What is this? _Answer me_, Sookie."

A strangled cry escaped Sookie's lips before she could stop it; her confusion and fear was visible in her eyes. Sookie realized within moments what had happened and slapped a hand across her mouth both in shock and as an attempt to muffle the sobs that she could feel trying to push their way out. All this happened in the course of a second or two and Godric intervened once more before the situation digressed any further.

Sookie's eyes were wide as she watched Godric move from beside her on the couch to stand in front of Eric. Godric's fangs were run out and he had a firm grip on Eric's shoulder. He looked just as terrifying as he had in the basement when he had pulled that filthy man from her body and snapped his neck and Sookie gasped behind her hand, then pressed her palm more tightly against her face in an attempt to prevent more noise from escaping. Sookie could hear herself breathing heavily through her nose then, and had a passing thought that the sound was loud enough to be distracting, but then all her attention was focused on the scene in front of her.

"Down, Eric," Godric growled. Eric kneeled immediately and without hesitation.

"Master…"

"Eric, you have failed me this evening. This saddens me as you are my proudest achievement." Eric looked up at his maker, pain and remorse as clear as the blue of his eyes. Godric looked down into his child's face, bringing his hand up to stroke Eric's cheek before continuing. "I love you, Eric. There is nothing you could possibly do to change this. But I am embarrassed that you would see fit to treat vampire blood, your own, no less, with such blatant disrespect. Further, I am ashamed that you would coerce someone into taking your blood unknowingly. I have made it abundantly clear the importance of this action and yet I find you are attempting to use your blood as a means to tether yourself to an unwilling human. Do you have anything to say for yourself concerning this matter, Eric?"

Eric's tore his gaze away from his maker's, his eyes focusing somewhere in the middle of Godric's chest. "No, Master."

"Eric," Godric said quietly. "You are a thousand years old, and I have not been your Master for many centuries. As such, I would not mete out any punishment, just impress upon you how very upset I am at your behavior. Further," Godric said, waiting until Eric's eyes met his once again, "while I have not acted as your Master in ages I am still your maker, and I am disappointed that you would see fit to question me, question Sookie, after I explicitly told you the issue was not up for discussion. I know I taught you more respect than that, Eric, so I can only assume you have become so accustomed to getting what you want when you want it that you forgot yourself tonight."

Godric's gaze drifted over to Sookie, who still had her hand covering her mouth. When he caught her eye he smiled a little in an attempt to calm her, something he felt he had to do far too frequently in the past hour or so. "Thank you for being so patient, my Sookie," Godric said to her softly. "We will be just a moment longer. Are you alright?" It took a few seconds for Sookie to process Godric's words but eventually she nodded her head and with her response as reassurance Godric returned his attention to his child.

"In the future you will not speak to Sookie in the manner you did tonight." Godric watched Eric closely for any sign of argument but there was none so he continued. "I will have it known that I will protect Sookie as I would protect you, my child, with my life, or by ending the lives of others who would threaten her. She is mine and as you well know I take care of what is mine. Is this understood, Eric?"

"Yes, Master," Eric said without hesitation.

"Stand up, please," Godric said. Eric looked dejected and sad, so once he was back on his feet Godric said the words he knew would ease the burden on his child's mind. "You are forgiven, Eric."

Eric puffed out an unnecessary breath. "I will not shame you again, Master."

"Eric…as I said, I am not truly your Master…not anymore. You may call me Godric. I've told you this before."

Eric just shook his head a little and Godric allowed the issue to drop. He needed to see to Sookie.

"Eric, I would ask that you leave us for a bit. There is to be a meeting later this evening with a representative from the American Vampire League. They wish to have an explanation for why the events which took place occurred and I am the one who must provide the answers. I wish for you to attend the meeting as well."

Eric nodded once before turning toward the hotel door. "I will see you both later," Eric said, and the door closed with a 'snick' just as the last word left Eric's mouth.

Godric approached Sookie slowly. Although she had responded to his words before, she still looked to him like a cornered animal and he didn't want to frighten her any more than she already was. Carefully, Godric reached out and wrapped his hand around Sookie's wrist. When she didn't startle from this, Godric pulled her hand away from her mouth, moving her arm down until her hand was resting in her lap. Godric lowered himself down onto his knees in front of her then, and waited until her eyes came into focus, locking with his.

"Sookie…are you alright?" Godric asked again. Sookie began to nod her head in the affirmative almost immediately, but then stopped in the middle, shifting her head from side to side.

Godric smiled gently up into Sookie's face, wanting to calm her as much as he could, "Thank you for being honest with me Sookie. I appreciate that. I am so sorry that just happened my sweet girl. I did not foresee either your or Eric's reactions and for that I apologize. Nevertheless, may I take the opportunity to tell you once again how proud I am. You are behaving just beautifully, little one."

While Sookie had been been slowly relaxing as she listened to Godric talk, when he said this her head shook from side to side in denial.

"What is it, little one? You believe you have done something wrong?"

Sookie nodded miserably then, reluctantly bringing her hand up and pointing to her throat.

"Ah, I see," Godric said. As was becoming habit with them, Godric leaned forward and cradled Sookie's face between both of his hands. "Are you listening to me, my Sookie?"

Godric waited until her eyes came up to meet his before he continued. "I do not fault you for crying out in distress when you did. On the contrary, I believe you showed a great amount of restraint. Considering the situation, had you broken the rule entirely it would have been understandable. I would have been disappointed, yes, but all things considered I would have understood. We have not even made it out of the hotel room on our first day together, and while under normal circumstances I might consider this a success on my part…" Godric let his sentence trail off and allowed his gaze to roam exaggeratedly up and down Sookie's body, hoping to lighten the mood.

Sookie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile that crept onto her face. "There's my good girl," Godric said, returning her annoyed smile with a lopsided grin of his own. As I said, you once again have made me very proud. Now, as much as I am looking forward to giving you my undivided attention, like I was saying to Eric I must attend a meeting to account for recent events."

Sookie's brows furrowed slightly, but she made no attempt to speak. Godric stood from the couch, walking over to retrieve Sookie's abandoned belongings, still talking all the while. "I promised I would not leave you alone whilst you are completing this task, and so I shall not. However this does mean that you will have to suffer through the unpleasantness of the meeting as well. With any luck we will not be there for long."

Godric sat Sookie's suitcase on the bed; he already had it open and was sorting through her clothes by the time Sookie came up behind him, yanking his elbow back to see what he had in his hands. She gasped when she saw what it was – a pair of lacy white panties – and ripped them from his hand, tucking them hastily into the pocket of the bathrobe. Instinctively, Sookie reeled her arm backward and swung it sharply forward again, intending to slap Godric across the cheek, but before her hand could come close to making contact, Godric caught her wrist firmly in his grasp. Immediately she realized what she had almost done and her eyes grew wide. When she finally managed to bring her eyes up to meet Godric's, she didn't see the warm, caring gaze of just moments ago. Rather, his face was completely devoid of emotion and Sookie couldn't help the shiver that ran through her.

Godric said nothing. Keeping a firm grip on Sookie's wrist he dragged her across the room. He grasped her shoulders without sparing her a glance, turning Sookie until she faced the corner. With gentle pressure against the back of her neck Godric guided Sookie until her face was pressed between both sides of the wall. Sookie pushed back into his hand in an attempt to stand up straight again, but Godric held her against the wall firmly until she gave up and allowed her face to rest where he placed it. Sure that she was not going to move, Godric brought a hand to each of hers moving them so they were behind her back, one hand holding onto the other. He moved away from her then, standing a few steps behind her and watching to see if she would try to move. When she did, as Godric had guessed she would, he finally spoke.

"Do not move, girl."

Godric's voice was like his face, drained of the emotion and good humor Sookie could normally hear when he talked to her. The sound of Godric's voice like this brought tears to her eyes.

"You will remain as I have placed you until I am ready for you to dress. While you are waiting, consider the actions that led you here."

Godric could see Sookie shaking; he had no wish to frighten Sookie, but raising her hand in anger, to him especially, would not be tolerated. In a small attempt to soothe her fears, Godric approached her once again and reached up to gently run his fingers through her now dry curls.

"You have no need to be frightened, Sookie," Godric said, and the knot that had formed around Sookie's heart loosened just a little as she heard the slightest bit of compassion return to Godric's tone. She started to turn her head to look at him, but when she did Godric's fingers gripped tightly in her hair, making her gasp sharply in pain. "Do. Not. Move." Godric's voice was stern again and the tears that had been gathering finally broke free to track down the sides of her face.

Godric pulled his hand back from her hair, letting it slide down her back to rest on her hip. "Think about your actions, girl. I will return once I am ready for the meeting and I have chosen what I would like you to wear. Unfortunately," Godric said, sliding his hand into the pocket of Sookie's bathrobe to retrieve the panties she had previously stored there, "since this particular article of clothing was the cause of such turmoil, I am afraid that tonight you will have to go without."

It took a full minute or more for Godric's words and their meaning to really register to Sookie. By that time she was standing alone with her nose in the corner, trying desperately to get control of her sobs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! I apologize for the long wait. Unfortunately real life interferes sometimes but I can promise that this story is not destined to be a forgotten WIP. I'm excited by this story and am eager to share it with all of you. I can't thank you all enough for all the reviews, favorites, and follows that I have received over the past month or so. It means so much to me that so many people are enjoying this story and I hope that it continues to entertain. **

**I appreciate all of you that have taken the time to review. Your words encourage and inspire. Hopefully you all enjoy this next chapter and please, if you have a moment or the inclination, reviews are much appreciated.**

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Sookie couldn't make her body stop shaking no matter how hard she tried. Her hands were still behind her back the way Godric had placed them, and she dug the nails of one hand into the back of her other one, the sharp, dull pain giving Sookie something else to focus her mind on while she attempted to collect herself. She struggled to hear Godric behind her and wondered how long he was going to make her wait for him like this. It seemed to Sookie as if she had been standing in the corner with her nose pressed to the wall for an hour now but she knew in her mind it could only have been a few minutes at most. The longer she waited, though, the angrier she became and it wasn't long before Sookie had convinced herself that Godric was completely out of line.

Sookie inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled slowly and evenly through her mouth. She steeled herself then, and very deliberately removed her hands from behind her back, bringing them to her sides before spinning around and away from the corner, now determined to tell Godric exactly what she thought of him. Sookie's mouth was already open ready to give him a piece of her mind when her eyes met his; Godric was sitting in a chair not four feet away from her, his hands folded in his lap and a disappointed look in his eyes.

"Oh, my sweet girl, how I was hoping you would have been able to do as I said." Sookie's furrowed her brows indignantly and her mouth opened again, ready to scream at Godric for treating her the way he was, but once again he spoke before she could utter a word. "Sookie, I urge you to keep your thoughts to yourself. If you decide you are incapable of following this rule at this time, the consequences will be dire."

Sookie didn't look convinced but Godric seemed unphased. "I would remind you that you agreed to be mine and I agreed to have you. We sealed this agreement with a blood exchange. I explained the gravity of this gesture to you and you said you understood."

Godric stood up then and was in front of Sookie before she could blink. He threaded his fingers gently through her hair in a way that was immediately comforting before continuing to speak, now whispering in her ear as he nuzzled soft the skin of her cheek. "I know you do not really wish to be alone. I know you wish to have someone upon whom you are able to rely. Be strong for me now, Sookie. I am disappointed that you failed to follow my commands, and you will be disciplined because of this, but do not think for a moment that I do so out of malice. Do not for a moment think this means that I do not care for you. In fact it means the very opposite."

The look Sookie shot Godric at that point was filled with as much fury as she could muster, but Godric could see how scared and confused she really was. He took a long, unneeded breath, letting it out with a heavy sigh before bringing the hand not buried in golden curls at the back of Sookie's head up to capture her chin in a firm grip. Sookie jerked her head sharply, trying in vain to break away from Godric's grasp, but he only tightened his hold on her with both hands. Sookie gasped then whimpered at the prickle that shot through her scalp as Godric tugged on her hair and the dull pressure of the pads of his fingers against her cheek. As the sound broke ragged from her throat Godric's fangs ran out and he released a low growl that sent a shiver through Sookie all the way down to her toes.

"Can you trust me, Sookie? Or can you not? It is that simple." Godric's fangs were still fully extended when he spoke, but ever so gradually he began to loosen the grip he had on Sookie. "I can smell your fear, sweet girl, and I regret it. You have no reason to be afraid of me. I think you know this. You must calm yourself now, my Sookie, and consider what you asked of me yesterday. Last night you were brave enough to ask for my help. You were brave enough to agree to be mine but now the first time things do not go your way you want to give up."

Godric paused to make sure Sookie was looking at him, giving her a moment to think. Sookie watched as Godric's fangs retracted out of sight. As she studied his face, she only became more confused. Godric was so soft-spoken and in her heart Sookie felt that he genuinely cared about her. It was all just so overwhelming. She was drawn from her thoughts when Godric spoke to her again.

"Well, Sookie," he said, making sure to hold her gaze with his own, "are you a quitter? I must tell you I did not take you for one. I would not have extended an offer of my blood if I thought you were weak."

Sookie's eyes began to fill with tears again as she felt sure Godric was about to turn her away. "_I_ promised to have you as mine. I do not go back on my word. So allow me to remind you of our agreement one more time: you are mine, little one. I have always cherished and protected Eric and now I will do the same for you. And yes, that sometimes means discipline. But you will always be safe, Sookie. You will always have a home; you will always have family. You will always belong to me."

Sookie's chin dropped down to her chest and she felt like she might collapse from the weight of both her relief as well as her shame.

"Now, Sookie, you will yield and accept your punishment for your poor behavior. Unfortunately, however, we still have a meeting to attend, so that will have to wait until we return." Godric lightly nudged her chin up with his fingers until her eyes found his, albeit a bit reluctantly. "Let's go get you dressed, little one. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back."

Godric led Sookie over to the bed where she now saw that he had laid out an outfit for her to wear already just as he said. It was a sundress, pale blue with white flowers cascading down the skirt. He had chosen a pair of dainty white flats for her to wear which she appreciated; she never much liked heels. But as she scanned the bed, Sookie noticed the absence of what were, in her mind, some very essential items. She turned to Godric in question and although he wasn't smiling, it was clear his humor had returned.

"There is no problem, I hope?"

A light blush crossed Sookie's cheeks and after a moment of indecision she attempted to pantomime putting on her underwear, looking back up to him hopefully to see if he understood.

"The clothing I have chosen and that you are permitted to wear is laid out for you on the bed. I was not joking before when I said undergarments were to be prohibited tonight due to your outburst." Godric spoke slowly and carefully not wanting to spook Sookie after just managing to calm her down. Sookie did react, but the anger in her eyes was there and gone again in an instant, and Godric felt a twinge of pride that this time she was able to keep control of her emotions.

Sookie was still staring at the dress on the bed with a look of trepidation when Godric interrupted her thoughts again.

"I apologize for rushing you, sweet girl, but this meeting really cannot wait. Change into your dress now, please."

Sookie looked at the dress indecisively for another moment before grabbing it up off the bed. She shot a glance back at Godric then, blushing even more profusely as she scurried off to the bathroom, his low chuckle chasing after her.

After finally fighting her way into the dress, struggling to get the zipper up on her own but only managing to pull it halfway there herself, Sookie had to muster up the courage to leave the bathroom – without underwear. She looked in the mirror and saw that her light pink flush had now deepened to a lurid fushia that was staining not only her cheeks, but had also spread down her neck and to her chest. Sookie felt humiliated and she didn't even know why. Just minutes before she was standing with Godric wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Heck, Eric had even seen her. Somehow this felt different, though. Dressing up with the intention to go out and purposely excluding her underwear? Ladies did not do things like that, Sookie was sure. What did that say about her, then, that she did so for Godric just because he told her to?

Sookie had not realized how long she had been standing in the bathroom lost in her own thoughts so the sound of the light knock on the door did not register until Godric's face came into view around the side of the still mostly-closed door. Godric's soft voice seemed to float across the room to her, and although she didn't mean for it to, (she was still supposed to be mad at him, wasn't she?), the sound had an almost immediate calming effect on her.

"Are you decent in there?" Godric asked, although he was already stepping fully into the bathroom as he did. "We really must get moving now." Godric paused then, noticing that the back of Sookie's dress still needed to be zippered the rest of the way.. He turned her so she was facing the mirror, and when he stepped up behind her he trailed a finger down the center of her back, tracing her spine lightly before finding his way to the zip. Godric pulled it up so slowly that she felt like she could hear each tine tooth locking into place, and for reasons that both confused and frustrated her, Sookie became inexplicably aroused.

Only half aware she was doing so, Sookie slowly allowed her head to fall to one side, exposing the expanse of her neck to Godric. He leaned into her, taking in the scent of her hair, and Sookie could feel his mouth against her skin as his lips curved into a boyish grin. She heard the snick of his fangs running out and her pulse speeded up in anticipation of his bite. Godric grazed his fangs lightly against the sensitive skin of her neck before pressing his lips gently to her skin.

"Sweet girl," Godric whispered, pulling back enough to catch Sookie's eye in the mirror. "Later, perhaps. After we return from the meeting and after we deal with your punishment."

Those words made the bottom drop out of Sookie's stomach. In the heat of the moment she had forgotten the trouble she got herself into.

"Oh little one, do not worry yourself unnecessarily. Have I not told you that everything will be alright?" Godric's smile returned, looking decidedly devilish and he added, "you smelled quite delicious just a moment ago."

Godric's comment had the desired effect, and Sookie crinkled up her nose and rolled her eyes, playfully conveying her disgust. His smile stretched further across his face at seeing her reaction, and he started to guide Sookie out of the bathroom, and hand resting low on her back.

"Grab your shoes and then we'll go. They will already be waiting on us."

They were outside the door of the room where the meeting was to be held when Godric stopped Sookie and pulled her to the other side of the hallway.

"When we go inside, Sookie, I need you to be mindful of your behavior. Since you have become mine, the only other to see you has been Eric. I cannot say that went as smoothly as I had hoped, but this will be quite different. There will be several vampires present at this meeting, many of whom you have never met before. It is essential that we present a united front. You must not question me, Sookie. Do you understand?"

Sookie stared at Godric for a moment, before nodding her head slowly in acquiescence.

"Good girl," Godric said warmly. Then, she was being led through the doorway.

Godric guided her immediately to an unoccupied seat. She felt like every eye in the room was on her and was so distracted by this that she did not notice she was seated beside Eric until Godric reached over from her other side to take her hand in his.

"Finally. Now that everyone is her was can begin." The vampire that spoke was Nan Flannigan; Sookie recognized her from on television. Up close like this, Sookie couldn't help but think that she preferred Ms. Flannigan on the screen. In person, the woman was absolutely terrifying.

Godric stroked the back of Sookie's hand with his thumb as Ms. Flannigan began her verbal assault. The repetitive motion helped to keep her calm and she tuned out the mostly one-sided conversation that she was sitting in on, the voices around her becoming a dull thrum in the back of her mind.

Sookie was pulled from her peaceful trance by the sound of Godric's voice, his tone as soft-spoken as ever but with a note of urgency present that let Sookie know this wasn't the first time he had called for her.

"Sookie," Godric said again, relieved when Sookie's eyes finally focused on his own, "Mr. Compton, it seems, is under the impression that you belong to him. He is claiming that I took you and am holding you against your will and brought these claims to Ms. Flannigan. Now Sookie, Ms. Flannigan needs to hear your side of the story to corroborate either my or Mr. Compton's version. Can you do that for me, little one?"

Sookie stared at Godric incredulously. Was he really asking her to break the no talking rule? She was already in deep enough water. Maybe it was a test? With that thought in mind, Sookie shook her head from side to side and used her fingers to act out zipping her lips closed.

"Do you see that, Ms. Flannigan? He doesn't even let her speak. It is obvious that she is being held against her will and I demand that she be released back to me at once. This is nonsense! His age doesn't make him above our laws."

Sookie's eyes darted over to find Bill; how had she not realized he was in the room? Suddenly her whole mouth felt dry and Sookie licked her lips, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. She uncrossed and recrossed her legs and the fingers of her free hand clutched at the fabric of her dress skirt. She turned back toward Godric then and he could see the fear in her eyes, but it wasn't fear caused by the useless excuse for a vampire that was cowering behind that bitch Flannigan, all the while trying (and failing miserably) to intimidate he and his child. No, it was plain to Godric that Sookie was afraid of disobeying his order to remain silent.

"Sookie, you must speak, my sweet girl. It is my wish that you tell Ms. Flannigan what she needs to hear, despite how offensive I find Mr. Compton's accusations in the first place," Godric finished with a pointed look over at the two vampires in question and he felt a slight, perverse pleasure as they both shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his gaze.

Nan Flannigan recovered first and shot Godric what he was sure was meant to be a scathing glare, before leveling her eyes on Sookie. To his right, he heard Eric growl in warning, his fangs dropping into place with a snick.

"Sookie is Godric's. How dare you threaten her, and in his and my presence, no less," Eric snarled.

Nan Flannigan rolled her eyes and Sookie absently thought that the juvenile gesture made the female vampire look ridiculous. She mentally shook herself in an attempt to focus on the fight that seemed to be ready to break out at any moment.

She must have missed whatever Nan Flannigan said in return, though since the next thing she knew Eric and Godric were both on their feet. Eric had Nan Flannigan pinned to the wall by her throat, his fangs bared menacingly and poised to strike. Then Sookie was being pulled to her feet and pushed roughly by Godric who moved just in time to block her from a very feral-looking Bill, lunging toward them both in fury.

"The girl belongs to me!" Sookie couldn't even recognize the voice coming from Bill's mouth. She could see his face over Godric's shoulder and the vicious creature in front of them seemed nothing like the southern gentleman who first approached her. It made Sookie feel like a fool. She already knew that Bill was deceiving her; thankfully Eric had found out before it was too late. But the fact that she knew the truth didn't make seeing it for herself any easier.

As she took in the scene in front of her, Sookie thought idly that it was strange she felt no fear. Every vampire in sight had their fangs extended and one of them had actually attempted to attack her. But Godric was there and somehow it seemed that she unconsciously knew that he would never allow any harm to come to her. Nevertheless, she had no desire to bear witness to the blood bath that was ready to explode in front of her. She just wanted to be back in the hotel room, alone with Godric.

No one seemed to be paying any attention to her, but Sookie cleared her throat nervously anyway, taking a deep breath before speaking the words that got every vampire's attention.

"Stop it! Everyone just stop! I am not yours Bill Compton. I never was and I never will be. I am Godric's. I offered myself to him willingly and he accepted. Now get the _hell_ out of here before he's forced to kill you…permanently. And if the rest of ya'll wouldn't mind? I've had about enough of this little vampire get-together. I'm tired, I'm angry, and I still have my punishment to deal with tonight, so – "

Sookie stopped mid-sentence, her eyes wide as she realized what she had said. Godric looked over his shoulder at her as Bill struggled ineffectively in an attempt to free himself from the ancient vampire's iron grip. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and Sookie could read both amusement as well as exasperation clearly in Godric's eyes. Godric opened his mouth to speak to Sookie, to make sure she was alright, to reassure her that she hadn't done anything wrong, but before he uttered one word his child's interested voice came from across the room.

"Punishment?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Here it is - the next chapter. I'm sorry once again for the wait. Unfortunately life gets in the way sometimes but I appreciate the support from everyone. I can't tell you enough how much the comments, follows, and favorites mean to me. Thank you once again. I will try to get Chapter 6 up within the next two weeks just because I think it's one that people are waiting for. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts! **

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"Punishment?" Eric said, and Godric couldn't help the slight amusement he felt, both at his child's antics as well as the pretty flush that had blossomed across Sookie's skin as a result of her outburst. The situation had escalated quickly, however, and Godric just wanted the meeting to come to an end.

"Eric," Godric said, turning to address his child, his voice relaxed and calm as if he and Eric were not restraining Bill Compton and Nan Flannigan respectively and all the other vampires in the room were not poised to rip into each other at any moment. Eric quirked his eyebrow further in question, his eyes flickering with barely-restrained mirth. The moment reminded Godric of lifetimes long past that he and his child had shared together, and the memories made something expand in his chest.

Godric was about to give Eric further instruction when their captives chose to interrupt. It was Nan Flannigan what was either brave enough or stupid enough to speak first.

"Just what the fuck do you think you and the soon-to-be former Sheriff Northman are doing? In accordance with the rules set forth by the Vampire Authority, attaching a fellow vampire – "

It happened so quickly that Sookie could barely process what she saw. Eric was now beside her restraining Bill in what looked to be a much tighter and more painful grip than Godric had used what Godric was standing with Ms. Flannigan, watching her as she surreptitiously rubbed the marks that Eric's grip had left on her neck, even as they began to fade. Sookie didn't completely understand what caused Ms. Flannigan to cut herself off mid-tirade, though she knew how intimidating Godric could be when he wanted to be. Idly, she wondered briefuly how Godric and Eric pulled that switch-around move off, but she knew a maker and child had some mind-meld thing so that must have had something to do with it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sookie peeked up at Eric. She regretted her action instantly when she found Eric's eyes staring right back at her. He smirked down at her, the salacious look on his face only growing when she rolled her eyes in disgust. The sound of Godric's voice caught her attention then, and she turned back toward him not wanting to miss whatever was going to happen, but not before Eric shot her a wink that left her wondering how that man managed to make every gesture seem so filthy.

"Enough melodrama, Ms. Flannigan." Godric's voice, as always, was deceptively quiet, but Sookie could hear the restraint he was employing and knew without a doubt that his patience was at an end.

Foolishly, Ms. Flannigan appeared to gather herself, opening her mouth to speak before Godric cut her off once again.

"I said enough," Godric said, a deadly undertone now unmistakable. "If you choose to speak again without my expressed permission, I promise you I will render you incapable."

Nan Flannigan looked as if she might argue for a moment but thought better of it at the last second.

"You get off on hearing yourself speak." Eric snorted at his maker's use of the crude colloquialism but Godric ignored the sound and continued. "I would like you to listen, now. The Vampire Authority as well as their ridiculous rules are of no consequence to me. I have no interest in those who seek power for the sake of having it. I know each vampire on the council personally, Ms. Flannigan, because I have been asked time and again to join them myself. The problem with this is that not only do I revile everything the Vampire Authority stands for, but I detest its members with just as great a passion. Possibly the only beings I loathe more are the sycophants that cling to them so desperately, hoping to get their share of the power without having done a thing to deserve it." At this Godric paused, looking Nan Flannigan up and down with undisguised disgust.

"I am going to be as plain as I possibly can be: you will not threaten me, you will not threaten my child, and you will not threaten my bonded. Do so and I can assure you I will show you the true death. This stands for anyone who would dare presume to cause harm to what is mine. But please, do not delude yourself into believing I consider you an adversary. You are nothing more than an insect to me, insignificant and small, so trust me when I say if you become too much of a nuisance I will squash you like the bug you are."

Godric paused once more to see if Nan would attempt to interject any further. When the silence began to become uncomfortable, the tiny sounds of the other vampires in the room growing anxious seeming to magnify as time passed on, Godric finally addressed Nan Flannigan again.

"I will restate my intentions now and this time you will listen. I am stepping down from my position as Sheriff of Area 9. In that we are agreed. Isabel will be appointed my successor. I am most adamant about this. Eric will remain Sheriff of Area 5. He has done nothing to merit his removal – quite the opposite, actually. I will be relocating to my child's area and I suppose I should inform you as well that Mr. Compton will be moving away."

"I will do no such thing! Bon Temps is my home."

Before Bill could say anything further, Eric squeezed his grip closed around Bill's neck, cutting off his ability to speak.

"Hold that thought, Billy Boy," Eric said, the glee apparent in the sound of his voice, "I think my maker is going to want a word."

"But not here," Godric said in the affirmative. "We have taken up enough of these people's time. This has nothing to do with them. I apologize for making a scene," Godric said, directing his words at the various other vampires that had been in attendance at the meeting. They nodded their heads in recognition of Godric's words and retreated from the room, understanding the implicit dismissal within his comment. When the door closed behind the last vampire. Godric turned back to Nan Flannigan.

"I trust there is no confusion about anything I have said to you, Ms. Flannigan?"

Ms. Flannigan shook her head, though the vindictive glare in her eyes was still present.

"Heed my warning," Godric said as he backed away from Ms. Flannigan, allowing her to move toward the door. "I will not hesitate to end you if you cause me, or those who belong to me trouble. And unlike you, I do not make idle threats that I have no intention of following through with."

When she was gone, Godric finally turned his focus back over to where Eric was still enjoying himself restraining the Compton idiot and his Sookie was staring wide-eyed, looking as if in shock. In an instant Godric was beside her cupping her face in his hands and forcing Sookie to look at him.

In his periphery, Godric could see Compton redouble his struggles against Eric's grip, and although his child had made it almost impossible for him to make a sound, Compton, in his fury, managed to choke a few syllables up past Eric's constricting fingers.

Ever so slowly, without removing his hands from Sookie's face, Godric turned toward the garbled noise.

"Mr. Compton," Godric said, and now his voice was very quiet – abnormally so. "I very much hope, for the sake of your health, that you did not say what I think you did."

He turned back to Sookie before Compton had a chance to respond. Godric's fingers stroked the swell of Sookie's cheek gentling her, before speaking once again.

"Sookie," Godric said, never stopping the soothing motion his fingers were making on her cheeks, "I'm afraid you are going to have to be patient just a little longer while we deal with Mr. Compton. Do you understand?"

Sookie kept her eyes locked with Godric's, nodding her head in answer to his question.

"Sweet girl," Godric whispered against her lips, allowing the corner of his mouth to turn up just slightly. "Once again I am truly sorry your first days with me could not have been more peaceful ones. It is not fair to ask this of you and yet because of others' selfish actions, I must."

Godric paused before continuing. "I know you are still worried about your punishment." At this a small smirk reminiscent of the one Sookie was used to seeing on the face of his child crossed Godric's face, earning a soft snort that had to have come from Eric. Sookie's brows furrowed in annoyance at the sound and she tried to turn out of Godric's grasp so she could send what, in her opinion, was a well-deserved glare toward Eric. However Godric merely increased the pressure in his fingertips, preventing her from moving an inch. A tiny frustrated growl escaped from Sookie then, causing both Godric and Eric to chuckle to each other before Bill once again reminded them of his continued presence.

"You know," Godric said, "I believe I have given you quite enough warning that you should be able to properly understand the gravity of the situation you have found yourself in, and yet you persist. Eric?"

"Yes, Godric."

"I have changed my mind. Please escort Mr. Compton to hotel security and inform them that this vampire is to be remanded into custody per my request. Ask that they keep Mr. Compton there until we are able to tend to him."

"Shall I give them a reason why you want Compton held?" Eric asked, already dragging a resisting Bill towards the door.

"You may," said Godric, looking once more into Sookie's eyes. "You may tell them he attempted to lay false claim on my bonded.

"I'll be back in a moment," Eric said, another smile creeping its way onto his handsome face. "I wouldn't want to miss what is sure to be quite an entertaining event."

Though Godric's eyes were soft, showing how very happy he was to be around his child again lascivious behavior and all, his words disappointed Eric.

"I'm sorry, child. I am not going to force your presence on Sookie during her punishment. You will stay away from our room for the remainder of this night."

For a moment Eric was visibly disappointed, but before Sookie got a chance to read any one emotion on his face, he had hidden them all behind that obnoxious smirk of his once again. Eric left without another word, leaving only Godric and Sookie in the now quiet room.

"Now my sweet girl, let us return to our room. We have some business to attend to."

* * *

Sookie didn't remember walking back to the room. It seemed as if each step she took shut her mind down just a little more. By the time Godric closed the hotel door behind them, Sookie felt like her heart was going to explode and she was so nervous she wasn't sure she knew her own name at the moment. Thankfully Godric was there and stopped her before she had a full blown panic attack.

"Sookie," Godric said, his voice firm. "Sookie you will listen to me and stop this silly behavior this instant."

Sookie's breathing, which had turned harsh as her panic rose, stopped completely for a few moments. A hard gush of air was suddenly expelled from her lungs, then, leaving Sookie feeling significantly more relaxed, if a bit deflated.

"Good girl," Godric praised. He brought his hand up to the back of her head and drew his fingers gently through her hair, calming her further. Godric watched Sookie's face carefully for any signs of distress, pleased when her eyes began to slip closed in reaction to him combing through her hair. When her lids finally shuttered over her eyes completely Godric broke the peace that had descended over the pair of them.

"There now, Sookie. Very good. You've done so well already. I'm very proud of you, sweet girl. But we must deal with this so it is over and done with. Do you understand?"

Sookie took a deep breath and nodded in the affirmative, however Godric did not accept a silent answer this time.

"You will answer me with your words now, Sookie," Godric instructed her tenderly.

It took her a moment but Godric was patient and eventually Sookie did respond.

"Uh...yes, I understand."

"Very good, Sookie. In addition, however, you must also address me properly." Godric saw the slightly confused look ghost across Sookie's face, so he elaborated. "Tell me, Sookie, to whom do you belong?"

The color on Sookie's cheeks rose but she did not hesitate to answer in a shy, quiet voice. "You. I'm yours."

Godric smiled to show his approval of her response. "Good girl, Sookie. That is correct. You are mine…as is Eric. Now, I would like you to think about how you have heard Eric address me when he is not using my name. Can you remember what title he used, little one?"

Godric saw in Sookie's face the moment that her memory located the proper title. _The girl really did blush at the smallest things_, Godric thought to himself with some amusement.

"Do you remember, Sookie?"

She nodded her head, trying desperately to avoid making eye contact with Godric, but he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up.

"Now, now. What did we just say about answering out loud?" Godric admonished. His tone was still light, but something about it had changed, and though Sookie could not put her finger on it, a shiver of anticipation ran through her announcing its presence. The feeling made it difficult to pay full attention to Godric's words but she fought to do so desperately, understanding instinctively how important this was.

Sookie did not know how much time had passed between Godric's comment and her response, but she found herself quite grateful for his seemingly endless amounts of patience.

"Y-yes," Sookie finally said, stumbling a little over her words as her nerves got the best of her. "Yes, I remember what Eric called you."

"And?" Godric prodded.

"He um, well…" Sookie paused just a second, collecting herself with another deep breath before she spit out the answer as if the words burnt her tongue. "Eric called you Master!"

After finally expelling the words from her throat, Sookie calmed enough to realize that Godric was once again wearing that cheeky grin that both annoyed her and made her heart skip a beat in both turns.

"There now, that wasn't so difficult, was it?" Godric said, once again stroking through Sookie's hair distractingly. Sookie's eyelids began to droop again at the gentle touch and they would have slid shut entirely had it not been for Godric's next words.

"Why must you be punished, Sookie? What did you do wrong?"

Godric had guided them over to the couch without Sookie noticing. He settled them both down into the cushions, nestling Sookie into his lap before she responded. She looked up to Godric hesitantly, and Godric nodded his head, encouraging her to speak, though Sookie noticed with some trepidation that his face now seemed to be almost completely devoid of emotion, only his eyes betraying that the vampire she had begun to rely on still resided behind his stony facade.

Sookie swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She made several attempts to form the words she needed to say, and Godric's patience only served to make her more frustrated. She released a sob into the silence of the hotel room and then it was as if a dam broke; Sookie could neither control the tears that had begun to stream down her face, nor could she control the words that now seemed to fall freely from her tongue.

"I – I'm, I'm s-sorry," Sookie said miserably through her tears. Her voice was thick and her words fought their way through her labored breath. "I didn't m-mean it. I didn't mean to try to hit you. Sorry…I'm sorry. Couldn't even listen…"

She muttered through her sobs, though not everything she said was intelligible, even to Godric. He didn't push her; he just held her as she curled in on herself, releasing the emotion that had been building up since their time alone together earlier in the evening. As she moved, the skirt of Sookie's dress shifted up further than what would have been considered decent in public. Godric's hand had found its way to her thigh, then, allowing the tips of his fingers to move whisper soft against the delicate skin he found there.

When it seemed as if Sookie had cried herself out, at least for the moment, Godric spoke.

"Sookie, I understand how remorseful you are for your actions. You need to listen to me now when I say this: I forgive you. I forgive you, sweet girl."

Sookie hiccupped a little, trying to get control of her breathing before she turned her head, which was now nestled in Godric's lap, to look up into his face.

"How could you?" she breathed in disbelief, almost afraid to question the words she wanted to hear more than anything in that moment, and yet needing to understand why.

"Sookie, I forgive you because everyone makes mistakes. I forgive you because I know you did not intend to cause me harm and you were not thinking clearly when you acted so poorly. However you will receive punishment for these actions. This is partially to help you remember not to act in this way again, to remind you that this is not acceptable behavior, but there is another reason your punishment is necessary."

Sookie didn't say anything in response, still not understanding how Godric could be so forgiving of her behavior. But she just waited for Godric to continue, allowing herself to be comforted by the constant movement of his fingers against her skin.

"The other reason for your punishment is perhaps even more important," Godric said finally. He waited until Sookie's eyes met his expectantly before continuing. "In the end, it is not just my forgiveness that you require, little one. It is your own. Your punishment will allow you that."

Sookie's eyes widened disbelief, and then realization. When Godric saw acceptance settle across Sookie's features, blotchy and red from crying for so long, he leaned down over her, placing a chaste kiss lightly on her forehead.

"Turn over for me then, little one. Let us not put this off any longer."


	6. Chapter 6

**Here it is! Chapter 6 of Beautiful Surrender. Thank you once again to everyone who continues to support both me and my story through favoriting, following, and reviewing. I appreciate everything you all have to say and I try to comment to every review I receive.**

**As you'll hopefully be able to tell, this is really the beginning of Godric's and Sookie's relationship full force. There will still be Plot with a capital 'P,' but this is the moment that Godric and Sookie really come together as a couple. This was really important to me to get right since, as I've told some of you, the characterization of Godric as a Dominant is based on my own Dominant. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think...so please comment!  
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Godric was still careful not to lift the hem of Sookie's dress any further as he trailed his hand over the swell of her bottom. His fingers found the dip between her two cheeks and followed the path up and toward the small of Sookie's back, molding the skirt fabric against her as he went. Godric continued smoothly up the center of her back and to the nape of her neck, where he buried his hand deep in Sookie's hair. Throughout all this Sookie had frozen, all her muscles coiled tightly with tension and her lungs filled to capacity as she unconsciously held her breath. Godric used his palm to cup the back of Sookie's skull, gently turning her head toward him so that he could see her face. Her eyes were wide and they darted desperately up toward Godric, confusion and upset rapidly turning into fear of what was to come. Godric knew he would have to deal with this quickly.

He brought his free hand to her jaw, using enough pressure to get Sookie to unclench her teeth. "Sookie," Godric said, his voice calm and steady, "Sookie I need you to take a deep breath."

Sookie gasped as if she was coming up for air after being under water for just too long. She calmed quite quickly, however, and soon her breaths were even and relaxed.

"There we go," Godric said, still in the same soothing tone. "Now, can you tell me what all that was about?" Godric began to stroke is fingertips back and forth over Sookie's scalp, lulling her even further.

When Sookie looked as if she was ready to answer, Godric slid the hand that was still resting on her jaw down against the sensitive skin of her neck, curving his fingers tenderly and possessively around her throat. When Sookie spoke, her voice was breathy and lethargic.

"I don't know what happened just then," Sookie said. She was fighting to keep her eyes from closing and forced herself to look up into Godric's concerned gaze once again. "I guess I just…panicked a little. I've never been…," Sookie paused before breathing out the end of her sentence. "…_spanked_ before. Not as a little girl…nothing."

Godric, sensing that Sookie wasn't finished talking, stayed quiet and waited until she was ready to continue.

When she next spoke, Sookie's voice was a little stronger. "It's just…I don't _want_ to be punished." She looked away from Godric's face then, instead determinedly studying what she could see of the tribal-looking tattoo circling his left bicep.

"Sookie. Look at me."

With great effort, Sookie forced her eyes away from the tattoo to find his, which were filled with unconcealed amusement. "You're laughing at me," Sookie said accusingly, and she moved to hide her face against Godric's stomach.

Before she could dwell on that thought too much, Godric gingerly pulled Sookie back with the hand still entwined in her hair. "Don't do that, little one. I want to see you when I'm speaking to you." Sookie looked up at Godric doubtfully, seeing that the faint trace of humor was still present on his face. Before she could think any further, though, Godric was speaking again.

"I was not laughing at you, Sookie. That is, perhaps I was…just a little." Sookie released an offended grunt and tried, unsuccessfully, to pull away. At this, Godric's lips curved into a tiny smirk so reminiscent of Eric that Sookie couldn't let it pass without comment.

"You _taught_ Eric that look, didn't you?" Sookie said, irritation clear in the tone of her voice.

The comment made Godric laugh out loud, a lone sound, soft and beautiful, that made Sookie completely forget all about the current situation and, she thought, as her stomach did a little flip-flop, perhaps made her fall the tiniest bit in love.

After the moment had passed, Godric brought the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"Little one, I do not believe there are many who actually want to be punished." Godric resumed the comforting movement of his fingers in her hair and continued, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Though…I think you will come to realize that an activity – such as spanking – may have various connotations according to the method in which the act is carried out as well as the mindset in which the participants are inhabiting at the time."

Sookie was listening intently to Godric's words. She believed him, and though she hadn't known him but for a few days she felt instinctively that she could trust Godric with her life; she wouldn't have agreed to this whole thing if she thought otherwise.

"This is…normal, for this kind of relationship, I mean? Are there even other people that have this type of relationship?"

Godric thought about how he wanted to respond before answering. "'Normal' is a relative term. What may be commonplace for some may be considered taboo by others. I can say that there are many, many people who choose to live in relationships such as the one I have initiated and hope to foster with you. Most are as 'normal' as anyone and their relationships, while considered unconventional by society, are happy, healthy, and fulfilling. It is a mistake to worry yourself over whether or not others would approve of your actions or not, Sookie. What other people think should not matter."

"Easy for you to say," Sookie retorted. "You don't have to hear every nasty thing people are thinking about you every second of the day."

Godric pulled Sookie more snugly into his body. "Yes, Eric has told me of your ability. I cannot imagine what it must be like for you. Nevertheless, my belief is the same: what they think of you should not determine how you live your life."

"But what you think should?" The tone of Sookie's voice was not challenging in any way, merely questioning.

"Well," Godric said, "you agreed to be mine."

"Yes…I did. And that's how all these type of relationships work, then? With one person in charge of everything…the 'Master' or whatever, which makes the other person…what? A _slave_?"

Godric stared deep into Sookie's eyes. "Yes, there are some who choose to live their lives as slaves." His tone was even and measured, gauging Sookie's reaction.

"I will never be anyone's slave, Godric," Sookie said quietly.

"What good fortune for us both, then, because I neither desire, nor have a need for a slave, either." Godric made sure he had Sookie's complete attention before saying his next words. "I am, however, greatly pleased and honored that the beautiful girl lying across my lap has agreed to let me help her blossom as a submissive."

"Submissive," Sookie repeated, trying the word out on her tongue. "And you are my…?"

"Dominant," Godric answered.

"My…Master." She didn't quite phrase it as a question or a statement, but the word alone was enough to have an effect on Godric. Godric's eyes grew dark and he growled, followed almost immediately by the snick of his fangs running out, and Sookie felt herself grow wet; it was then that she noticed the hardness pressing up against the side of her stomach.

"Sookie, there are many details concerning this relationship that must be dealt with in order to ensure it runs smoothly. We need to discuss what you like and dislike, what you are interested in learning about and experimenting with, and what you have no desire to do whatsoever. We need to instill a list of rules for you so that you may begin to learn the discipline necessary for you to thrive. However, if you are willing, I would like to give you a taste of what is to come."

"My punishment?" Sookie questioned tentatively, not particularly wanting to bring the subject up again, but feeling obligated to, anyway.

At this comment Godric sobered, retracting his fangs and looking soberly down at Sookie. "Yes," Godric said, "I got…carried away for a moment, but you are correct. Before anything else we must tend to your punishment."

Worry was once again apparent in Sookie's eyes, but this time it was tinged both with acceptance of her fate as well as anticipation.

"Do you consent to accept any punishment I deem to be a just consequence for your actions, Sookie?"

Sookie knew how serious this question was, and she appreciated Godric asking her yet again. It seemed as if he knew that it was she who needed the reminder that everything that happened at this point would be of her own volition.

"Yes…Master," Sookie answered quietly, but with more conviction in her voice than Godric had ever heard from her before.

"Sweet girl," Godric said, his eyes softening just for a moment before his face turned into a stony mask once more. "Girl, you are being punished both for raising a hand to me with the intent to strike in anger, as well as for failing to complete the punishment you earned in the first place. For these transgressions, you will receive ten swats, and you will be required to count and thank me for each. Do you understand?"

"Yes…Master." Sookie's voice was airy and thin, though she couldn't distinguish whether it was because she was afraid or excited. However, seeing Godric's face so completely devoid of emotion now that she had begun to read the minute changes to his eyes, lips, brows, wrenched at her and she had to look away, suddenly ashamed of herself for putting that look on his face in the first place.

The hand Godric had entwined in Sookie's golden tresses trailed back down to the nape of her neck, then, urging her to fully turn over once more. Godric paused for a moment, allowing Sookie to become settled in this new position, but Sookie began to feel silly, painfully aware of the fact that she, a fully grown woman, was draped over Godric's lap like a disobedient child. As that thought popped into her head, Sookie began to tear up, because that was what she _was_, right? She had behaved abhorrently and now she was facing the consequences.

Before she had any more time to think further about how awkward she must look turned over Godric's knee, Sookie was startled out of her thoughts by Godric's flattened palm coming down hard on the fleshiest part of her left butt cheek. The action was so sudden that it jarred a startled gasp of pain from her throat and as Sookie fought to choke back what she thought was going to be a very unladylike sob, she came very close to forgetting that she had a more active part to play in her punishment. Godric pinched her butt right where his hand had just come down, albeit through the fabric of her dress, and this was enough to remind her.

"One!" Sookie cried out, her voice already thick with tears. "Thank you, Ma – Master."

Godric's free hand came up and collected Sookie's hair, hanging loose and around her face. He swept it together and over her shoulder furthest away from him, allowing his hand to remain entangled for just a moment before returning to the task at hand.

The next swat came down on her right cheek, and though Sookie did not hesitate to count this time, she could no longer contain her tears.

"Two! Thank…thank y-you, M-Mas – Master."

Godric looked down at what he could see of Sookie's face after moving her hair to keep from obstructing his view. He could see the tear tracks coming from Sookie's eyes, running into the corners before trailing upward toward her hairline. Her skin was blotchy from crying so much earlier, and of course now, despite her tan's valiant attempt to hide its reaction. Godric grazed the fingertips of his free hand along Sookie's jawline to get her attention.

"You are my good girl, Sookie. You are doing so well. You can do this."

Godric's simple words of encouragement seemed to fill Sookie with a lightness she hadn't felt before. Godric believed she could do this.

"Ye – yes, Master," Sookie said, still fighting back sobs but now bolstered with a new determination.

Godric seemed to be waiting for Sookie to answer him because shortly after she did, the next blow came, and though Sookie thought it was definitely harder than the first two he had administered, she did not complain.

When the eighth swat came down, landing right at the spot where her butt ended and her privates began, Sookie gasped again, only just remembering to count out a breathy "Eight! Thank you, Master."

Godric's hand came down in the same spot again almost immediately and Sookie was shocked as her body seemed to jerk back to meet his hand almost involuntarily, her thighs sliding just the slightest bit apart.

When the last swat came down, this time landing lightly right between the area between her parted thighs, Sookie couldn't help it, she let out a low moan, unconsciously pushing herself up and back in search of more pressure. Godric allowed his hand to rest there between her legs for a moment, cupping her sex through the fabric of her dress lightly without offering any other sensation.

Godric started to pull his hand away then and Sookie clamped her thighs together in an attempt to keep his hand where she wanted it.

"No!" she cried out desperately, before finally remembering and screaming out a quick, "Ten! Thank you, Master," hoping that was the reason Godric had stopped whatever it was he was doing.

With the hand not resting between her legs, Godric reached to turn Sookie's face toward him. He could see the tear tracks drying against her skin and she was still flushed with color, however, now for a much different reason.

"You were such a good girl for taking your punishment like that," Godric said, and Sookie sighed at the sight of Godric's expression, once again soft, his lips turned up ever so slightly into a barely-there smile. "Good girls get rewards, and I think you have earned one. Have you earned a reward, little one?"

Sookie nodded her head frantically and the hand between Sookie's legs squeezed just slightly causing her to moan out an answer. "Please!"

"What do you want?" Godric asked.

Sookie wasn't completely sure what she was asking for but she was pretty sure Godric knew that already so she answered his question the only way she knew how. "More…_God_…more."

A stupid grin crossed Godric's face then. "God-_ric_, dear Sookie. Not God."

Sookie started to chuckle at Godric's ridiculous comment but was cut off quite abruptly when another moan was forced from her throat; Godric had begun moving his hand against her.

The sensation made Sookie squirm against Godric's lap, attempting to help Godric's talented hand along.

Godric, however, did not seem to feel the same sense of urgency. "What is this, my sweet girl?" Godric said, and Sookie could hear that slight playful lilt in his voice; naughty Godric had returned. Godric pulled his palm away from her, only allowing his fingers – those evil fingers – to press the fabric of her dress into the cleft of her sex as he had her buttox. Sookie's cheeks burned with embarrassment and yet, more than anything all she wanted was for him to continue touching her there.

Godric leaned down over her then to whisper his next words into her ear. "Oh, Sookie, it seems as if you have stained your pretty dress. Messy girl," he added, licking around the shell of her ear before nipping gently with his fangs, fully extended once more. "Roll over for me, little one," Godric whispered before sitting back.

With Godric's help, Sookie managed to move herself over onto her back. Once settled, she stared up at him pleadingly.

"Spread those legs for me, Sookie."

Sookie's thighs parted without a second thought and then Godric's hand was resting against her knee. Sookie whined, spreading her legs just a bit further hoping that Godric would get the message.

Godric let his hand slide up from her knee to the inside of Sookie's thigh, gathering the hem of the dress against his wrist as he went. When he was close to where Sookie wanted him, Godric stopped once again, looking down into her eyes.

"Is this where you want me, sweet girl?" Godric inched his hand up just a little more as he spoke, but did not yet touch her sex.

"_Yes_…," Sookie sighed. "Godric, _please_…"

Godric didn't make her wait any longer. Godric flipped the skirt of Sookie's dress up, then moved a hand to each of her thighs to push her just a bit wider. Sookie shifted slightly under Godric's gaze; she didn't know what to make of Godric looking at her private parts so intently.

Godric's eyes flicked up to meet Sookie's just then. "You have a beautiful pussy, Sookie."

Sookie, if possible, flushed even more hotly at Godric's words, and Godric smiled down at her before returning his attention back to the juncture between her legs.

Godric's fingers glided easily against the her folds, soaked from all the teasing before. He brought his fingers up briefly to play with the short triangle of blonde curls before returning down once again, this time allowing his fingers to slide between her folds of skin to find her nub, hard, swollen, and aching.

When Godric nudged his middle finger against her clit, Sookie lost control of her hips once again as they jerked up harshly to meet his touch.

"Oh…oh…please…" Sookie's eyes slid closed and her back arched just slightly.

"Look at my good girl," Godric said quietly, as he began to rub against her nub in earnest. He began in slow circles, allowing Sookie to become used to the sensation, before steadily increasing the pressure against the little bundle of nerves. "Sookie, let's see what a good cum you can do. Would you like to cum for me, sweet girl?"

Sookie made a pleased sound and nodded her head, moving her hips more urgently against Godric's fingers.

"That's it, little one. Show me how good you are. Cum…_now._"

And with a last desperate grunt of pleasure, Sookie did; she could feel herself pulsing as her fluid flowed out of her. Her legs shook uncontrollably and Godric just kept moving his fingers, allowing her to ride out all the wonderful sensations.

As Sookie's body began to relax, she sank blissfully against Godric's frame. She knew she must be wearing a dumb smile on her face but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. Before she could drift away, though, Sookie felt something against her lips. She opened her eyes, turning her gaze the whole way up to find Godric looking down at her.

"Look at what you did," Godric said teasingly, holding his hand up so Sookie could see his fingers glistening with what she understood was her own release. "You made a mess all over my hand, little one. Clean it up for me, please."

Godric tapped his fingers lightly against her lips once again and waited. Sookie knew that Godric wouldn't make her do it if she protested. But as she looked into his warm gaze, she thought about everything Godric had done for her in just the past few days, and with a small smile she parted her lips invitingly, allowing Godric's fingers to slide into her mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Oh my goodness everyone...the next chapter is finally here. I apologize for being gone for so many months, however real life sometimes steps in the way. Despite the problems of the past few months I have been so surprised and happy to continue to receive PMs and comments from you all voicing your support for both the story and me. Your words have meant the world to me and I am so happy to be back and able to give another chapter to you all. That being said, hopefully you enjoy Chapter 7 of Beautiful Surrender and please comment if you have a moment - I'll be back to responding to all of them and I love hearing what all you think!**

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Sookie's eyes slipped closed as she suckled on Godric's fingers, finding the action oddly soothing. It lulled her into a light, trance-like state, and she didn't notice as Godric began to move his fingers shallowly back and forth between her lips, sliding them in each time a little further until he was pushing in as far as he could and she was taking their full length all the way up to his knuckles.

With his free hand, Godric brushed the hair back from Sookie's face, stroking down as far as he could reach before returning to the crown of her head to caress her flaxen locks again. Sookie had begun to make quiet sounds of contentment then, and Godric could tell that she would be asleep in moments if he allowed it. He took a moment to enjoy the sight of her face, completely relaxed and worry-free, before slowly bringing her back so as not to startle her.

Godric removed his fingers from between Sookie's lips with an audible "pop" and watched as Sookie's eyelids fluttered and then opened, her eyes still clouded and dreamy. When her eyes were finally able to focus on his face Sookie smiled up at Godric.

"That was nice," Sookie said, looking bashful about the statement immediately afterward but still pleased nonetheless.

"I agree," Godric said softly, tracing along Sookie's jaw line, cheekbone, down the bridge of her nose, and around her slightly parted lips. "I find that I enjoy watching you as you orgasm. And how peaceful you are now. I am looking forward to inducing this reaction from you as often as possible."

Not surprisingly, Godric's words caused Sookie to blush an excessively dark shade of pink and she turned her face to hide against his stomach. As she shifted more fully, Sookie felt something poke against her shoulder and jerked lightly in surprise. She lifted herself slightly, her gaze immediately settling on Godric's lap.

Godric curved his palm around the side of Sookie's face, guiding her gaze up toward his own. "There is no need for you to worry about that right now, little one," though there was a tiny smirk playing around the corners of Godric's mouth.

"But…you just…I mean, why not? Don't you want me to?"

"Oh my sweet Sookie, I very much want you to," Godric said. "But I can wait. Eric will be returning before long and we have a sore backside that needs attending to before that."

Sookie's face burned with fresh heat. "But I thought…you told him to stay away for the rest of the night. He listens to you…"

Godric huffed out a soft laugh. "When it suits him, yes. Or when I use the maker's bond to compel him, which is very rare."

"Why?" Sookie asked quietly, moving so she could sit up beside Godric. She shifted uncomfortably trying to find a position that didn't put so much pressure on her sore behind. When Godric did not respond to her Sookie looked over only to see his eyes locked on her, his fangs fully extended. It was then that Sookie looked down at herself and realized that the skirt of her dress was still tangled around her waist, leaving her completely exposed. With a tiny squeak of surprise, Sookie hastily pushed down the skirt of the dress, desperately looking anywhere except for over at Godric, who was now laughing openly.

Sookie pressed her thighs together tightly, smoothing her palms frantically over the rumpled material of her skirt. She seemed to lock her gaze somewhere around her knees then, trying not to acknowledge the still chuckling vampire sitting beside her.

"There is no need to be embarrassed now, little one," Godric said, his lascivious smirk audible in his voice. He leaned in close and whispered lowly in her ear, "I've already seen what you've got under that skirt of yours."

Sookie tried to ignore the comment and made a move as if to stand but Godric's arms wrapped themselves solidly around her waist, pulling her back onto his lap.

"Now, now," Godric breathed against her neck, making goosebumps sprout up across her sensitized skin, "where do you think you're going smelling like you do?"

Sookie huffed out a breath of air indignantly which only caused Godric to chuckle darkly against her skin. She heard the sound of his fangs dropping into place and a full body shiver chased down her spine as he grazed the razor sharp tips delicately against the long expanse of her neck. Sookie tilted her head further to the side, instinctively exposing more of her neck for Godric to explore. "Are you quite sure you want to run and hide, little Sookie?" Godric whispered into the shell of her ear.

Before she had a chance to respond, however, Godric had already retreated from where he had been nuzzling her neck not a moment before. When Sookie chanced a glance over her shoulder at him his fangs were already retracted as if all his teasing actions had only been in her mind; she might have seriously wondered, too, if not for the slightly smug glimmer she could see in Godric's eyes.

"Unfortunately that happy pleasure will have to wait just a bit longer," Godric said, holding Sookie's still frustrated gaze in his own. "As I said, we have other things to deal with before Eric returns, your hot little backside, for one." His voice was full of good humor which made Sookie roll her eyes in annoyance; it seemed completely impossible for her to stay upset with this man.

Godric shifted Sookie off his lap, depositing her gingerly back onto the bed before standing. "Spread out on the bed on your stomach, sweet girl. I will be right back with something to take some of the sting away. You just relax now," Godric added, guiding Sookie down into the position he desired before turning around and disappearing into the hotel bathroom.

Sookie shifted the pressure from one hip to the other, trying desperately to find a comfortable position as she waited for Godric to return. It was, in reality, only a few moments before Godric was at her side again, but for some reason the spanking and what he did to her after had left her feeling emotionally raw and vulnerable. The mattress sunk down slightly on one side, alerting Sookie to Godric's presence. She started to turn her head, intent on looking behind her to see what Godric brought with him, but Godric pressed his palm gently to the back of her neck, forcing her to keep her cheek pressed to the mattress and preventing her from seeing anything.

"Just relax, little one," Godric said, his voice quiet. "Trust that I know what you need. Trust that I would never allow harm to befall you."

Godric's voice was hypnotic and as she listened to the soft tone of his words. As she allowed the sound to lull her back into that peaceful state between wakefulness and sleep, Godric could feel her entire body become more and more pliant beneath his hands.

"That's it, Sookie," Godric soothed, his fingers finding the zipper of her dress and easing it down her back. Sookie's body sunk into the bed even further, expelling a deep breath of air until she felt heavy and deflated. "Good girl," Godric praised.

His hands found hers and Godric laced their fingers together. His hands pressed hers down briefly and Sookie vaguely recognized that Godric had shifted so that he had a knee placed on either side of her, straddling her thighs.

Godric remained still, giving Sookie a few moments to adjust to the sensation of having his weight resting on top of her. Then, slowly, Sookie felt Godric's strong grip lessen and his hands began to slide sensuously up to her wrists, past her elbows, and after a teasing squeeze to the backs of her upper arms, his palms curved around her shoulders, sliding deft fingers beneath the straps of her dress. Godric leaned over her more fully, bending down to drop three light, chaste kisses on the back of her neck, causing another shiver to run down her spine.

"I am going to remove your dress now little one," Godric said, inching the straps of Sookie's dress down her arms bit by bit. "Is that alright, sweet girl?"

Rather than answering verbally, Sookie arched her back slightly, encouraging the movement of Godric's hands against her skin. Slowly she nodded in response to the question, making a pleased humming sound at the back of her throat as Godric's hands began to move more purposefully.

"You have done so well today, sweet girl. I know you feel this is not the case," Godric said when Sookie made a small noise of protest, "but consider that this is only the first full day that you have been mine; you must see things as I do." Godric gently lifted first her left arm off the bed, then the right, moving the straps of her dress down and off her arms, all the while continuing to speak.

"This day did not go as planned and was certainly not ideal circumstances to introduce you to your training, but in my opinion you managed to rise to the occasion beautifully, despite a minor misstep or two along the way. Raise your hips for me, sweet girl?"

Sookie followed Godric's gentle command without a second thought and just barely recognized the sensation of Godric slipping her dress over the swell of her buttocks and down her legs until she heard the soft swoosh of material flying through the air and landing quietly on the ground.

For a moment it was completely silent, something that unnerved Sookie as she was finally completely naked. Godric traced his fingertips along the line of her back, bringing his palms down to feel the soft curve from waist to hip.

"Your skin is perfect, sweet girl," Godric said, a reverent tone to his voice, "so soft and smooth. You are beautiful, my Sookie."

"There are much prettier girls than me, Godric," Sookie said quietly, her words muffled slightly by the blanket underneath her. "You don't have to tell stories."

"Oh Sookie," Godric sighed. "I only speak the truth. You are…indescribably lovely. I could spend an eternity lavishing my attentions on your lush curves and that still would not be enough to slake me."

Sookie's breath caught in her throat at Godric's impassioned lustful words. Still, she found herself shaking her head in the negative. Godric saw Sookie do this, and though it deeply saddened him to find that Sookie had such a low opinion of her herself physically, he did not call attention to the action; he would just have to prove her desirability to her over time.

"Let's get this luscious bottom of yours taken care of, then," Godric said tenderly.

Sookie left out a soft sigh as Godric leaned over to retrieve whatever he brought back from the bathroom. She heard the sound of something being uncapped, jumping just a little in reaction to the feeling of cool lotion being dripped directly onto the still warmed skin of her backside. Godric cupped his palms against Sookie's behind, massaging the lotion gently into the reddened skin. Godric could feel Sookie drifting again and began to use more pressure, kneading the soft flesh more purposefully. Lost in the sensation, Sookie let out a low moan, shifting in a way that caused her buttocks to sway enticingly in Godric's hands.

Godric's fangs descended in response to Sookie beneath him. He released a quiet growl as he gripped the cheeks of her behind, his movements now more forceful. Godric pushed the cheeks together then, giving them a light playful jiggle before suddenly pulling them wide apart. He snarled audibly, then, his focus now fixed on the tight hole nestled between Sookie's butt cheeks. The snarl startled Sookie a bit, but she tried to settle down again, a blush creeping its way across her skin as she realized that Godric must be just staring at…that. Still, Sookie attempted to relax until she felt the tip of one of Godric's fingers graze her in a spot she never expected to have anyone look at or touch, let alone pay as much attention to it as Godric seemed to be.

Surprised by the completely foreign sensation, Sookie tried to roll over and pull out of Godric's grip, unsuccessfully due to Godric's superior strength. She squirmed a bit, but stopped when she felt Godric lean to hover over her once again, the low rumble of his growl seeming much louder now that he was right beside her.

"You will not pull away from me, sweet girl," Godric said, the calm in his voice so contradictory to the animalistic sounds he was making as well. "You agreed to be mine, yes?"

Sookie nodded her head slowly in agreement, causing the side of her face to rub temptingly against Godric's.

"Good girl," Godric praised. He still had a finger resting against her back hole and he began to move it lightly then. "So, since you are mine, it is my right to do with you what I will. There is no part of you that is off limits. Do you agree, little Sookie?" Godric purred against her ear.

Sookie moaned in response and she felt Godric grin in response against the side of her face. "Was that a yes, my sweet darling good girl?" Godric said, letting his tongue come out to taste her skin. "Use your words," Godric added before moving to lick a long stripe up the side of Sookie's neck, causing her to stretch in an attempt to give him more room.

"Yes, yes…I'm yours," Sookie whispered desperately.

"Mm…good girl," Godric said. His hands left her behind for a moment, but before Sookie could wonder what Godric was doing his hands were at her wrists, guiding her arms behind her and placing her hands on the cheeks of her behind. "I want you to hold yourself open for me little one. Can you do that for me?"

Sookie whined in response and though her hands continued to rest on her backside she didn't move anymore right away. In her mind Sookie was struggling with what she was being asked to do. _It seems so...inappropriate_, Sookie thought to herself. Not wanting to disappoint Godric, though, Sookie gathered up her courage and slowly pulled her cheeks wide apart, unconsciously holding her breath as she waited to see what Godric would do next.

A hand was at the small of Sookie's back, then, soothing her. "Look at what a good girl you are," Godric praised. "Breathe now, my good girl…that's it," Godric encouraged.

Godric leaned back a little to look at the unobstructed view he now had of Sookie's back entrance. "I'm going to touch you again now, Sookie," Godric warned.

Without any further comment Godric's finger was back, rubbing up and down lightly over her back hole, down towards her womanhood and back again. Sookie felt another glob of the lotion drip down into in between her cheeks and then Godric became more intently focused on her back entrance, using the lotion to ease his movements as he rubbed circles against the tight opening. When Godric finally pushed the tip of his finger past the first ring of muscle guarding her back entrance Sookie cried out, but her hands never moved despite her shock, continuing to hold herself open for Godric's attentions.

Godric struck without warning; he was on top of her, his fangs drawing deeply from her carotid, the tip of his finger still gripped warmly by her tight hole. Godric's other hand fell between her legs to graze her clit and that was all it took. Sookie was shuddering beneath him, her hips thrusting erratically into the mattress.

Three loud knocks against the door brought them quickly back to their senses.

"It is Eric," Godric sighed against Sookie's throat. He pushed himself up and off of her, pricking his finger with one of his fangs and rubbing the blood against the bite mark to heal the wound.

Sookie managed to roll over, but was still catching her breath from her orgasm. "What is the matter, my Sookie?" Godric asked, a smile on his face.

"Absolutely nothin'," Sookie said, causing Godric to laugh out loud.

"I'm coming inside in five seconds whether you're decent or not," Eric's voice said from the other side of the door. "I know which one I'd prefer," he added, and Sookie could just hear the smirk she knew he had to be wearing.

"Here," Godric said, handing Sookie her robe. "Put this on."

Sookie was still tying the belt around her waist when Eric speeded through the door. Eric let out an overly dramatic sigh. "You had all the fun without me," Eric said, wearing the world's most insincere look on his face.

"Eric," Godric admonished, but his amusement was evident in his tone.

Eric smirked lewdly at his maker before turning to Sookie and allowing his fangs to run out. "Sookie," Eric said, running his tongue deliberately against the tips of his fangs, "you smell delectable…and well satisfied." This caused Sookie to blush and drop eye contact but Eric continued. "You will be returning the favor, yes? At least my maker has achieved what I could not…"

Godric said Eric's name in warning once again, though there was a serious note to his voice this time.

Eric's expression softened, then, and though the flush had still not receded completely from her cheeks, Sookie looked up as Eric began to speak.

"My apologies my maker, Sookie," Eric said, his voice solemn as he retracted his fangs and bowed his head slightly, contrite. "Compton was not worthy of you," Eric said, speaking once more directly to Sookie. "I hope you and my maker will be very happy. Do not fail him."

Eric's comment hung in the air for a moment before Godric spoke. "Thank you my child, but Sookie is mine now. I will not allow her to fail. You know this."

A part of Sookie bristled at Godric's comment, but another part, which seemed much more prominent, fluttered around happily inside her, enjoying the idea that Godric cared enough about her that he would invest so much of his time and energy solely on her. Godric must have felt the emotions she was grappling with through the bond because he locked eyes with her, then, one upturned corner of his mouth signaling to Sookie how pleased he was that she understood.

"Now then," Godric said, "how is our young Mr. Compton?"

This comment caused a smirk to instantly spread across Eric's face once more.

"I arranged for him to receive only the best accommodations," Eric said. "Compton should be resting comfortably by now. He will be spending his day rest in a silver-lined coffin."

Eric glanced over at Sookie, half expecting her to scream in outrage and demand that Bill be released, but she just shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "He deserves what he gets," Sookie whispered. "He didn't really care about me, why should I care what happens to him?"

"What I have been debating in my mind," Godric said, nodding approvingly at Sookie, "is whether it would be better for us to carry out our business with Mr. Compton here in Texas, or if it would benefit us more to take him back to Louisiana."

"I thought the plan was to force Compton out of Area 5. You haven't changed your mind have you?" Eric asked incredulously.

"Of course not," Godric said. "I will not have him anywhere near Sookie. I have just been wondering where it would be safest to conduct our…interrogation. It could become quite extensive if Mr. Compton holds even a fraction of the information that I suspect he does."

"Compton has no leg to stand on in either kingdom at this point," Eric reasoned. "Sophie-Anne couldn't touch Sookie if she wanted to now that you have claimed her publicly and Sookie has accepted. It would be suicide. She may be a greedy, conniving, bitch, but she isn't stupid like Compton. She knows when she's been beat."

Sookie looked like she wanted to say something, but when she looked to Godric she saw him staring with a distant look on his face, apparently deep in thought. As Sookie watched Godric, Eric continued to speak.

"Even if Sophie-Anne was still determined to have Sookie's telepathy at her disposal this would be no reason to challenge a claim, especially when she knows you could end her any time you felt like it. Hell, so could I for that matter. I am afraid I do not understand why you are concerned, Master."

"Why, indeed," Godric mused. "Your logic is sound, Eric, and yet I fear all the pieces of this puzzle have not yet been made apparent. Until they are we must proceed with caution." Godric looked Sookie in the eyes as he said this, making sure that she was paying attention. When Sookie nodded her head Godric turned back to Eric. "I want to question Mr. Compton tomorrow before we leave for Shreveport."

"And afterward? What do you intend to do with Compton once we find out what he knows?" Eric asked. "You would be well within your rights to bring him in front of the Magister for his attempt to act against your claim."

"De San Diego is a vile pig who had no regard for humanity even when he walked among them," Godric said derisively. "Do not speak of that repulsive man to me, Eric. He is yet another member of this so-called _Authority_ of which I refuse to take any part."

The disgusted look that crossed Godric's face altered his features drastically and for a moment Sookie flashed back to a few nights before when she saw Godric for the first time, fearsome and powerful as he saved her from her would-be rapist at the Fellowship church, snapping the man's neck without hesitation or remorse.

Godric sighed heavily then, looking over to Sookie and reaching out to grasp her hand in his. "It is past dawn. Let us rest for the day and we will speak to Mr. Compton tomorrow. Hopefully we will find that my worries are unfounded."

Shortly after that Eric excused himself for the day, winking suggestively at Sookie before he closed the door and laughing deeply at the exasperated huff and eye roll that he got back in response.

"Sleep now, little one?" Godric said once he heard Eric close the door to his own room further down the hallway.

Godric's words caused Sookie to yawn softly, and she just nodded in response, climbing into bed when Godric held the covers up for her and snuggling into his arms when he climbed in beside her.

"Everything will be fine, Sookie," Godric whispered in her ear, his speaking slightly labored as the sun began to pull him into his day rest. "I will never let anything happen to you; I promise."

"I know. I just want to go home. It makes me sick that I trusted him. That I almost…" Sookie trailed off but Godric understood.

"But you didn't, Sookie. And you must believe me when I say that we will find out what his true intent was toward you and what, if anything, he knows. You are safe." Godric pulled her more tightly into his embrace and Sookie buried her face against his skin somewhere around his armpit.

"Listen to me for one more moment, sweet girl. Are you listening?" Godric waited for Sookie to respond before continuing. "If you wake before me, please stay here in the room. Do not order anything from room service until I awaken for the evening and do not answer the door for anyone." He felt Sookie's muscles tense slightly at his words and attempted to reassure her. "I do not think there is anything to fear, but I would rather just be safe for the moment. Do you understand, Sookie?"

"Yes, Godric," Sookie mumbled, already drifting to sleep.

"That's my good girl," Godric said, threading his fingers through Sookie's hair before allowing himself to be pulled under by the sun.


End file.
